The Shadow Of The Day
by Salina M L
Summary: [eventual Envy x Winry, implied Ed x Winry] To be alone, to feel cold and lost in an unfamiliar world. Winry gazed at her reflection in the mirror, shivering at the new sense of worthlessness and the changes that would occur for her to be able to move on.
1. The Inevitable Move… Part 1

**_The Shadow Of The Day_**

_**Written by Salina M L  
Edited by Tashi-san**_

Like you didn't see an angsty one with these two coming;) and I still say that I'm entitled.

I'm usually in the habit of warning people, so let's just say that this is not for those who aren't willing to have an open mind and this is _post-series_ only.

So if you're sure you're ready, dive right in and enjoy!

* * *

_**The Shadow of the Day**_

Death never takes a vacation, it never sleeps, and it never forgets.

It's a foregone fact (or conclusion) that one cannot cheat Death, no matter who they are. A common line in life has always been, "You'll pay me now, or you'll pay me later." And Death is no exception.

It could be considered an entity, it could even be the shadow stretched out across the pavement that follows you around. When you look at it, really look at it without the scientific spin on it, have you ever wondered why it's bigger than you? Why it seems to loom over you?

Perhaps Death is right around the corner. When you thought that you had really lucked out this time, have you ever stopped to consider when your luck might run out? When Death strikes without a reason, how could you not think it is a greater power than humankind? Maybe all along _you're _the one who's being played, and Death alone decides when you will pay and how the deed will be done.

It's just another way in which the law of Equivalent Exchange snakes its way into life.

This is a lesson for those who are foolish enough to believe that they can cheat Death without a price, no matter who they are or what good they may have done, there is no exchange for the soul; what you started with in the first place.

_**Chapter 1 "The Inevitable Move of a Desperate Boy… Part 1"**_

Winry didn't even flinch as she was felt herself being dragged forward. Her mind had blocked out his screams as did the ominous slam of the stone doors behind her. The air in the place chilled her to the bone, causing a white cloud to form with each of her shallow breaths. The initial shock melted away as she looked at her the golden colour of the area, wondering why it felt like her heart was in a vice.

Liquid filled her eyes, which actually turned out to be for the best. She blinked a few times, the lifeless glaze in her eyes fading a bit as she narrowed them at the ghostly black arms she had already grown to despise.

As they slithered around her forearms, the situation finally registered in her. "What… where- where are you taking me…?" Her eyes were still vacant, and it had come with the intent of a scream, but her voice was choked and empty, lacking the optimism it usually carried. Then she snapped to it and began to try and shake her arms and her legs frantically. However, the shadowy hands had securely wrapped themselves around her arms and legs, pulling her further into the pale, yellow light.

She looked over her wrists, blue eyes growing wide with shock as a few tiny creatures descended upon her from nowhere. Their bluish violet eyes seemed to taunt her as they clung to her arms. "St-…" She felt something crawling on her calves and looked to see a few more of those critters latched onto her legs. "W-what are you-?!" She tried to keep her voice even, but when they started clawing at her, she lost it and followed her first instinct of trying to keep them away from her with as much noise and movement as she could muster, as if sheer volume could drive them away.

"STOP IT!" She finally formed actual words. "What are you doing to me?!" She squealed as the arms squeezed her harder. The whole area was empty. Nothing accept a void of golden glitter passed her as she whipped through into what seemed to her like perpetual nothingness.

That was until a rushing migraine hit her and random pictures of her life projected through her mind, as well as some she had never seen before. Everything. Her and Ed playing together as toddlers, Al's birth, the charred remains of the Elric's home, her remaining family and Rose, everything that had happened to her sailed through her mind faster than her mind could process it. Isn't this what happens right before you die? Then the images shifted, to some she recognized, while some she had never seen before.

She slowly shook her head back and forth, forcing herself to shut her eyes and hoped to will away the images completely. Quietly, a few shadowy hands slipped from her waist and slithered away from her, leaving her to ponder on what they were aiming for.

_'You knew this would happen… you knew it would come to this…' _A voice she had already grown to despise seemed to whisper over her shoulder.

She stilled all movement, not because of the voice, but because a few of the small spectres shuffled down to her hands, while the shaded arms grasped her own and pulled her at an even more vigorous rate while a few of them were still wrapped firmly around her waist. Her eyes shifted away from them, a few lingering tears sliding down her face as she stared straight ahead, vaguely aware that the arms which had left her earlier were steadily following.

Then she saw it. A part straight ahead where the yellow light split and was nothing but a blinding white light. Even the empty vortex seemed to be slightly altered than earlier and everything besides the light in front of her blurred as the arms pulled her straight into it. Then all was dark once more.

The next thing Winry realized was that she was falling. Through grey clouds and fog until what looked like buildings and lights came into her vision. However, the sounds of electrical sparks sounded every so often beneath her, as well as a few feet away from her. The shockwaves below seemed to be slowing her descent from what would be certain death.

Then all noises suddenly stopped and all she could hear was her own heartbeat, which was progressively slowing down, yet seemed to resound in the empty space as the cobbled streets rushed at an alarming rate into her vision. At this point, she couldn't tell if the shockwaves would kill her or if the fall would take her life.

At the moment, she would grasp either one without a second thought.

* * *

The first thing she felt was cold. Not that same cold one would feel on a Winter's day, but a bone-numbing icy feeling on the side of her face and in her joints. Her eyes opened halfway, but her vision was spotted and seemed to be underwater. Winry's eyes slowly peeled open, the world slowly piecing itself in tiny increments as her vision slowly regained focus. 

The first thing she saw was grey. It seemed fitting to how she was feeling at the moment.

Slowly, she craned her neck to see forward as the last of the white spots fled from her vision, allowing her to see clearly. Indeed, everywhere around her was grey. From the cement to the slightly run-down buildings on either side of her. She squinted through the darkness, trying to recognize her surroundings, but to no avail.

The hand lying next to her face curled into a fist, the muscle twitching from the movement as she slowly pushed herself up. She managed to balance herself on her arms, although they were shaking horribly, so she was sitting on her knees. She brought up her hands that were covered in a mix of water and blood and held them in front of her. This just wasn't possible, she couldn't even begin to calculate how far she had fallen, yet she'd escaped from it with minor injuries compared to what she should've ended up with. Hell, she shouldn't even be alive now. Hands shaking, she gazed up at the sky that looked like it was covered in a thick layer of ash. Was it those creatures who had spared her life?

She reached out towards the coarse wall and gripped tightly onto the surface, a sigh escaping her lips and wiped her eyes on the back sleeve of her other arm. It would do her no good if anyone saw her tear-streaked face. The pint-sized droplets of blood staining the crisp, white material of her shirt was enough as it was, and she could just imagine the kind of looks people would give her.

She looked forward to the exit of the alleyway, the dim lights of the streets illuminating only the edge of corridor, a few feet from where she was. She could just imagine the reaction her family would have if they saw her like that, and a lone girl walking down the street would definitely arouse suspicion.

Nevertheless, she knew that she could put it off as long as she wanted, but it wouldn't do any good. Eventually she would have to face the music and try to find her home. She had no idea how long she'd been out for, and how long she had been in that empty void. Regardless, her family would be worried sick about her, and she couldn't let them assume the worse.

Well, it was the worse of sorts…

Winry straightened her posture and smoothed out the creases in her clothes before pushing herself forward and down the alley, the resounding click her shoes made signalling her presence in the empty lot. When she reached the street, a man passed slowly by her, pushing along a tattered wheelbarrow filled to the top with dirty clothing, some kind of currency, among assorted other junk.

The man turned to her and jumped slightly upon noticing that she had been standing there. "Another one?" The man stated, his voice was thick with a heavy accent that Winry didn't recognize. "Though… you seem familiar, young lady. Have I seen you before…?" The man himself was dressed in a rusty-looking cloak, and was looking at Winry's clothes strangely. Feeling self-conscious, she wrapped her arms around herself and averted her eyes to the ground, taking note of a dark grey-coloured tarp lying over a pile of boxes. Shaking his head one more time, which confused her further, he continued on his route down the quiet street, muttering something in a foreign language.

That was just the thing, it was so quiet that she could hear her teeth chattering. It was freezing and she certainly wasn't dressed for the weather in her casual clothing. As the man walked away, a bundle of papers fell out of his cart and onto the gravely sidewalk. She picked it up and was about to call out to the guy when the picture below the headline, which was also inscribed in a foreign language, caught her attention.

The picture on the front was of poor quality, but she could easily see that it was a mass of disembodied townsfolk on the front. She swallowed the sickening knot that formed in her throat as she examined the person closest to the front, but could barely make out even the gender of the person, but the person's shape told her it was a female. Whoever took it sure didn't know much about technology. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a good look at the girl in the mess of what was probably a pool of her own blood, until she gasped as the image became clear.

"Wh-?" Her grip on the page tightened as she bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

* * *

"(Oma? What is all this junk anyway)?" A young boy asked, balancing an overly-stuffed cardboard box precariously in his arms, while trying to see over the obstruction. 

"(Junk)?" The old woman walking a few feet in front of him huffed and spun around, causing the boy to bump into her. "(I'll have you know, sonny, that box is filled with antiques that my grand pappy used to treasure more than the few coins he had saved up for years, oh…)." She placed a withered hand to her chin. "(I don't believe that I've mentioned your great, great, grand pappy. Have I, Nikolaus, dear)?"

He rolled his eyes. "(Yes, Oma. You have)."

She was silent for a moment before shrugging it off and glanced up at the family cuckoo clock. "(Oh, would you look at the time)." She hobbled over to the front door and slipped on her shawl. "(I must hurry up and get the shopping done, the customers will be coming soon, we must stay competitive, even in times of inflation)." She picked up a basket, preparing for the huge bustle at the outdoor markets. "(Your parents will be home soon. Look after the shop until they come home, alright, sonny boy?)"

Niko shifted uncomfortably. He hated it when he had to deal with customers, they really freaked him out when they didn't get what they wanted on the double. "(… do I have to)?"

"(For goodness sake…)" She shook her head disapprovingly. "(You're already thirteen years old. We don't need any timid boys during these times. Your younger sister would do a better job, and she's a wee child)."

He puffed out his cheeks at that remark.

"(Remember to make the appropriate change, sonny, and don't forget to wash your hands before you touch the food)." With that, she closed the wooden door behind her.

Niko sighed, grumbling to himself as he went over to the door and flipped the sign around to show that they were open. That was until a refection on the glass caught his attention. He stopped in mid-movement with his hand still outstretched towards the sign and slowly lowered his hand. In the reflection was a girl sitting on the ground a few doors down, leaning against the side of the textured building.

He opened the door slowly, emerald green eyes peaking around the corner so she wouldn't notice him. He took note that she had draped herself completely in an ash-coloured cover, leaving only a bit of her face showing… but, why? Hesitantly, he slipped around the doorframe and tiptoed along the cobbled sidewalks.

As he got closer to her, long, pale yellow threads of hair could be seen pooling out from underneath the hood and contrasting with the its dismal colour, but nothing more was visible. In her hands was a rolled up bundle of papers held tightly against her chest.

He tried to be as quiet as he could, but as he came to a stop in front of her, the bottom of his shoe scuffed against the sidewalk, causing sapphire eyes to slide up to him. "(Hey, um, is everything all right, Miss)?"

Winry raised an eyebrow at him. Well, if that wasn't gibberish, she didn't know what was. "Come again?" Her tone was a little on the hostile side, even if it was without meaning to.

"Uh…!" His fingers suddenly felt antsy and started to fiddle with the buttons on his shirt, tugging on the seam. His parents had taught him the basics of what he needed to know if ever he came across an English person, but he was still working on speaking fluently in it, but hadn't really used it on anyone besides his family yet.

Winry's face softened as she felt a little guilty as she watched the poor boy unconsciously scrape his teeth along his bottom lip before biting on it nervously. She turned away from the boy and back to what she assumed was probably a rustic version of a newspaper. The image was more than a little unsettling to her.

"Hey, Miss…" He was suddenly above her and inches in front of her face, gripping the top of the paper. "You're not from around here, are you?" His tone didn't finish as a question, more of an empathetic statement.

She blinked up at him a few times before shifting her eyes down to the writing inscribed beneath the smudged title. She furrowed her eyebrows at the name.

"_Deutschland_…?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "To us… _yeah_, but to you, it would probably be known as Germany." He flinched when she dropped the paper. Why are girls so jumpy anyway?

_Germany_… that was the place Ed said he had been…

Winry finally sank into the realization that everything was over, not just the scant chances at a normal life, but the life she had once known altogether. No more Rose along with her son and their daily romps, no more Mustang and his voyeuristic ways or Hawkeye's comforting advice, she wouldn't see her grandmother or feel the warmth of Den cuddling by her side. She wouldn't be able to be there for Al as he relearned everything, or to watch Elysia grow up.

And no more Edward.

Niko stood there, frozen on the spot. He could practically feel the sorrow emanating from this girl, who couldn't be more than a few years older than him, all in waves of cold as he stared into her empty, forgotten eyes.

Not forgotten, but tossed away in order to shield her from something.

Winry felt her eyes fill with tears again as she gazed up at the sky.

He furrowed his eyebrows and planted himself onto the ground in front of her. He hated it when girls cried, and he felt like he would join her too if he didn't do something to make her stop. "Please, Miss, d-don't cry." He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. Yup, there he went again. "What's wrong?" He placed a shaky hand timidly on the older girl's hand.

It was the tiniest gesture, but it broke the last of Winry's defences. "Edward… I shouldn't have, but… _**how could you**_?" She whispered distantly as if she had known all along. The boy in front of her remained silent as more tears dripped down her face.

"It's over… all over." Winry opened her eyes and finally forced herself to remember the nightmare that would probably only serve to haunt her dreams for years to come.

**_…Flashback…_**

Winry remembered how she felt that day all too clearly. The day when Izumi had brought Al and Wrath back to her home and when she met Rose and her baby boy. It was the day she'd been told that the childhood friend she had known and trusted for so long was actually gone. As expected, Wrath left shortly after his automail attachment. Then when Al had departed as well to continue his training with Izumi, it had almost killed her on the inside. He was the only person she had left, and at least if she had one of them, she would be fine. But no, she had been cheated by God once more, and now she had lost yet another piece of herself. That was because she knew that, even though he was just a child, he would do anything to bring his brother back. So there was a high risk that he would not return as well.

So it went without saying that she was more than a little surprised the day they reappeared on her doorstop, as conspicuous as they had left in the first place.

At first she thought she was seeing things. After all, it had only been three months, whereas, there was a time when she hadn't seen them for years. Yet there they were, Al smiling sweetly though the relief he felt was expressed in the unshed tears in his eyes, while Ed, as per usual, was standing proudly, but with a gaping grin on his face. Then his eyes slowly peeled open as his amber eyes melted into Winry's sapphire ones. For what must have been a few minutes, the three just stood there silently, even Ed, basking in each others' company for the first time since all of their turmoil began.

Because of the now sufficient age gap, Ed was now a lot taller than him… it was bizarre to see them together after so long, and the differences between them only added to the sense.

But of course, it was already an extremely strange situation.

She vaguely heard the voice of her grandmother asking her who was at the door already as well as a few sets of approaching footsteps. Ed looked slightly surprised while Al just smiled pleasantly. She heard a feminine gasp followed by the joyful squeal of a child. She even heard her grandmother's quiet. "Oh, god…" It was the closest thing she had heard her say that was remotely close to a prayer in a long time. Then she was heard she could actually hear the pink sparkles permeating off of Armstrong.

That was until Ed sheepishly scratched the back of his head. It was also then that her eyes fell to the place where his automail arm was- well- _should_ have been. She found it extremely convenient how the early morning breeze could blow it so easily. Not to mention the way the arm of his brown overcoat swung with his casual movements. On top of that, she heard Al cough uncomfortably. The moment was awkward, but it was the familiarity of it all that put her mind at rest, but she wouldn't let out the joyful smile that was just begging to show itself and decided to act on impulse. So what did she do?

She slammed the door in their faces.

Winry sighed, leaning against the wooden door as she heard Ed drop his suitcase and pound against it. She looked up at the apprehensive expression Rose was giving her, though a humorous little smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth. While her little Adam was giggling at Ed's burgeoning hysterics.

"WINRY! This isn't funny! LET. US. IN!" In a much quieter and collected manner, Al was trying to tell him to stop yelling at her.

Gingerly, he walked up to the door and knocked on it politely. "Uh, Winry… it's just us…" He decided to start with, using his sweetest voice. "Sorry about all this. Yeah, it looks like Nii-san has destroyed his arm beyond recognition again-"

"Al!"

"… but we're back now, and… I'm really, _really_ hungry! And…" Well, nice guys always did finish last. "_I_ didn't ruin your work-"

"ALPHONSE!"

Winry looked thoughtful for a moment. Well, he _did _have a point. So she turned and opened the door slightly enough for Al to get through, but slammed it as soon as Ed stepped forward. The group heard a thump, signalling that Ed had fallen on his behind.

"OW! What the hell, Winry?!" His muffled voice yelled from the other side. Pinako clicked her tongue a few times before offering to take Al's jacket for him.

A devious little smile found its way into Winry's soft features. "Go home, shortie!" She called to the other side, trying her best to stifle her giggles. "Go find someone else to fix your arm!" That's when they all heard it. The enraged scream as the pounding on the door grew louder until he finally kicked it open with his metal foot, which knocked it clean off its hinges.

There he stood, sixteen years old and still jumping up and down in a furious fit. Even Den started to bark at him. That was until Pinako calmly walked up to him. "Well, I hope you're happy, pipsqueak-"

"PIPSQUEAK?!"

"Now you can make yourself busy by fixing my door!"

"_I_ will assist you!" Instantly, everyone was blinded by the pink stars that seemed to be forever bound to Armstrong's person. "Edward and Alphonse Elric!" He beamed. Ed tried to make a break for it while Al clung onto Den for dear life. Unfortunately for them, they had already been engulfed by one of Armstrong's bone-crushing bear hugs.

"Air, AIR!" Ed wheezed, his cheeks puffing out as he turned red.

"Ah… I-it's nice to s-see you too, Mister Armstrong… SIR!" Al managed to squeak.

Winry leaned against the doorframe, letting an exasperated sigh escape her lips while Rose chuckled and went over to stand next to her friend. Adam then waddled towards them, as best he could, and squeezed in between them. "Hee hee, Mama, Aunnie Win! They wook wike a ruderbegger!" The small child giggled again, followed by the girls.

Honestly, some things would never change.

* * *

A few days later, the first person to know about Ed's return was Izumi, courtesy of Winry. When she, her husband, and Mason arrived, he immediately turned blue and tried to make a break for the border, however, much to his and Al's surprise, she embraced them both in as motherly fashion as she could. The youngest Elric was unable to contain himself after having not been able to spill out his emotions for so long, and he broke down and hugged her back, the only woman who could've taken the title as their surrogate mother. As for the older brother, all he could do was smile softly as he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. 

It was over, and he was finally home.

The next morning, much to Ed's dismay, _they_ all arrived in a mass of hyperactivity and joy. Winry had informed Hawkeye of his return and told her to pass on the news, which soon resulted in a surprise gathering at the Rockbell's. Ed of course, was more than a little pissed off when Mustang and the rest of his subordinates arrived so, taking a page from Winry's book, he slammed the door on them. That was until Mustang melted the hinges off the door, and sent it barrelling into him, which only served to tick old lady, Pinako off further.

Behind the Brigadier General and Hawkeye were Maria Ross and Denny Bloch. As soon as Maria saw Al, she grinned since she saw him for the first time and began running towards the door, while all he could do was blush profusely. She wrapped her arms around him and congratulated him while the others approaching steadily. Havoc wore a lazy grin across him face, along with a cigarette notoriously sticking out the corner of his mouth as Scieszka and Fuery went on to greet Ed. Lagging behind, were Breda and Falman. Roy and Riza, neither partial to outbursts of emotion, greeted Ed as if he had never been away. Which was fine with him, for he had many people to try and cope with all at once.

"My, my! I never knew how adorable you were." Maria paused as the ten-year-old pulled away from her with a sheepish grin. He raised his hands in front of his face in order to conceal his reddened face. "You will definitely grow up to be quite the handsome man… just like your father." Anyone could tell that Denny was depressed over her comment, and the group chuckled slightly.

Later that afternoon, Gracia and Elysia arrived to bid their welcome to the newly reunited duo. Elysia immediately clamped herself around Ed's leg, greeting him enthusiastically, while Gracia gave a heartfelt hug to him and Al in tandem, it didn't take much for either of them to realize who the child was, and Elysia was ecstatic to have another friend who was almost her age. Shortly afterwards, the four-year-old took Den and Al outside to go berry-picking and whatnot.

Pinako, who was used to large groups of guests, fell into her element as the hostess and prepared enough food and beverages to choke a horse. All were welcome and all planned to stay if only for a short while. They had come to see Ed of course, but it would be a bonus to hear him speak of his adventures from… wherever the hell he had been all this time.

However, if the truth be told, Roy couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd been certain that one of them would've ended up dead… never had he thought that he'd see them both together, and Al in the flesh, literally.

The Elric brothers.

Roy had only seen pictures of Al when he had his human body, and this was a shock as well. It was amazing that he looked exactly the same as he had all of those years ago. Except now, Ed was approximately six years older than Al.

While Edward went around the room reacquainting with his old friends and… assorted others that he really wouldn't call his 'friends,' Al followed behind him. Every few minutes, Ed would glance back at him with an overjoyed look in his eyes to see his brother back to the way he should've been. Roy was too shocked to even ask how he'd gotten back, and didn't want to ruin the moment anyway. There would be time enough for that later…

The Fullmetal Alchemist was back.

* * *

The alchemists in the group had a disappointment facing them. They were curious to know how Ed had made it back, but he didn't want to tell them… not right then anyway, and not with so many untainted minds within the group. He told them all about the start of a war, about there being an equivalent to all of them that he knew of. He was able to tell Elysia that there was a man just like her father and a woman just like her mother. There was no alternate form of Elysia herself as of _yet_, but everyone saw the smirk tugging on Ed's mouth before he stated that it would be soon enough. 

Alphonse and Winry were sitting on either side of Ed as he went on about the things he had learnt in the world, and how it seemed that when one person's double travels to one side of the gate, something happens to the existing 'twin,' which obviously meant death, so that the two couldn't exist in the same reality, though he didn't seem to know for what reason. Or perhaps he didn't want to say it while Elysia and Adam were around.

Winry listened intently to every word that slipped out of him, vaguely aware of the suckling sound next to her coming from Adam, who was sitting on Rose's lap drinking his bottle. Now that Ed was home, he was finally telling some things about his adventure, and she didn't want to miss a second of it, although she noticed that he was being very careful with his choice of words.

At one moment she glanced across the table at Riza and then at Roy who was sitting by her side. She let a small smile grace her lips. Since whatever incident had led Mustang to have an eye patch, the two seemed to have become quite close. She couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for them to become more than their current relationship, if not for those damn fraternization laws. Still, it was nice to see both of them so relaxed, Riza seemed to wear her hair down all of the time too.

She accidentally caught Riza's eye at one moment and immediately dove back into her meal before the older woman could question her.

Riza looked on with a smirk as Winry did a poor effort of trying to conceal the fact that she had been gawking at her and the Brigadier General, however unintentional. The girl really had changed a lot. Although she had never said anything, Riza remembered her all the way back from the incident involving the serial killer, Barry the Chopper. She had been so young back then, and even though the experience could have scarred her for life, all she had done was cry out of release, and for Edward of course. She was a strong girl, even as a preteen. Those things served to make her into that strong, young woman, and Riza seriously doubted that she could ever let experiences such as those hold her back for long.

She blinked when Pinako asked if anyone wanted dessert. Of course, assorted people like Ed, Al, Fuery, Breda and Bloch seemed to really jump the gun on that one, while Adam was busy trying to feed his pureed veggies to Den while his mother wasn't looking.

Riza's eyes shifted back over to Winry when she stood as well to help Pinako with the dishes and the dessert. When she reached over to gather the empty plates from in front of Edward and Alphonse, she noticed Ed's cheeks tint pink a little when Winry's hand brushed against his flesh one, and she couldn't help but smile a little.

Teenagers and their damn hormones.

While Riza was inspecting one end of the pair, Roy was oddly keeping an eye on the other, albeit not so kindly. He had always been logical in his way of thinking, but he was still confident that the kid would find some way to get back to his home. Roy also knew that returning wouldn't have been an easy task, after all, there was always the matter of _equivalent exchange_, but it seemed that he had been able to overcome another obstacle, and seemed no worse for the wear. It all seemed a bit too easy and convenient this time. Was it possible that someone on the other side was able to help him out?

Nevertheless, if the gate was still active, it was a serious matter. The kid wouldn't like it, but regardless, they were going to have a discussion about it.

* * *

Winry blew a short breath of hair, ruffling her side-swept bangs as she grimaced at the seemingly infinite pile of soiled dishes. Having guests was fine with her and all, it was the clean-up that made her wish they would scram… or at least wash their own dishes. 

Just then Gracia walked in with yet another pile of ceramic dishes, precariously balanced in the crook of her arms, while Elysia was following a few steps behind her for caution's sake.

"Busy tonight, isn't it?" She stated uneasily, steadying a teacup holder which almost slid off the top of the stack.

"That's for sure." Wiping the sweat off her brow, she picked up a bottle of dish detergent and squeezed more of the green liquid than needed into the pool of hot water before filling the sink with the soiled dishes. She picked up a plate and started scrubbing it while staring off into space. Elysia had made herself comfortable at the kitchen table, happily drawing away on some blank construction paper.

Gracia grabbed a tea towel and came up to her side, ready to help her with the drying when she noticed the distant expression in her eyes. "Winry? Are you all right?"

She didn't seem to be listening and was humming a quiet tune as she made slow circles with the sponge along the outside rim of the plate as she gazed out the kitchen window towards the quiet pastures. "Winry-chan?" She tried again, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. Winry tilted her head up slightly just as the dish slipped from her loose grasp, a couple of the ceramic pieces shattering, causing Elysia to jump. She visibly winced at the loud, offending sound.

"Winry? What's going on in there?" They heard Pinako's voice as the room next to the kitchen went silent, except for Ed telling Al to sit down.

"Everything's fine, it was just a little accident." Gracia called while carefully pulling Winry's hands away from the broken dish and placed the shards onto a few pieces of paper towel and placed them in a separate bag.

Winry sighed as she wiped the beads of suds off the chest of her blouse. "Sorry, Gracia-san. I guess my mind's gone elsewhere. I can't help it…" She glanced over at Elysia who had resumed working on her picture and walked gingerly over to her. "They've been gone for so long, and just when you think one of them won't come back… here they both are." Pulling the chair next to Elysia out, she sat down next to her. Elysia smiled brightly up at her briefly before going back to work.

"Those boys are certainly full of surprises." Gracia chuckled as she rang the soapy water out of the rag and continued washing the dishes for her.

"But, there's Ed…" She whispered softly. "I wanted to believe that he was alive, but everyone else said otherwise, they all told me he was gone. I felt like I was trapped and should've just believed what seemed to be obvious, but I couldn't and now… here he is." She sighed, propping her chin on her hands, resting her elbows on the table.

Gracia paused momentarily, turning her head to the side to smile sympathetically at the teenage girl. "You really missed him, didn't you, Winry?"

"Of course I did." She stated absently. "Those two mean everything to me, and then when Al left too…"

"You know what I mean…" She turned back around, to finish off the last few plates and glasses. "When you found out he was gone you weren't yourself. When you came to visit us in Central after you finished gaining your apprenticeship in Rush Valley, I could see it in your eyes. You really care for him, and now you don't know where to go with it…" She chuckled and added in an almost condescending tone. "I was young once too, dear."

Winry had been quietly watching Elysia as the picture she had been working on blossomed as she added more colour, seemingly to make sure she used every one of her crayons. Her little tongue was poking out the side of her mouth as she seemed deep in concentration. Winry always found these little idiosyncrasies of hers adorable. "That looks great, Elysia. You're already quite the artist."

"Thanks, Winry-chan!" Elysia beamed, showing off her picture proudly to the older girl, who acted as a sort of role model for her. "Wanna draw wit me?"

Winry just couldn't say no to the way her bottom lip was trembling. "Sure, Elysia." She picked up a sky blue crayon and added a reflection to the surface of a pond surrounding the flower garden.

"_You're_ avoiding the topic, Winry." Gracia's tone held a slight singsong quality as she patiently awaited to hear what was on the girl's mind.

Winry sighed, dropping her head down to rest on her arm as she shaded in the pond. "I guess when I see him and those eyes… something about him always makes me want to put everything on hold to wait for him. I can't help it, I…" She grunted as her face tinted pink.

"That's what I thought…" Gracia sighed, remembering the old days when her and Maes were just dating.

"Nee-chan has stuff for Ed-nii…" Elysia gave a girlish, little giggle. "You gonna have any kids?" Winry immediately blushed scarlet and Gracia laughed. "Then I'll have someone more to play wit…"

Winry huffed and stood clumsily to her feet. "I'm going for a walk. Do you mind finishing up here?"

Gracia shook her head, hiding her knowing smile. "Not at all, but… would you like Elysia and I to go with you?"

Winry had already removed her apron and was heading for the back door, slipping a light blue jacket over her shoulders. "No, it's okay. I just need a moment to myself."

* * *

The day was giving to night in a splendour of red and dark hues as Winry looked up, smiling as she took in the brisk night air as it slowly gave way from the daylight. Although not much happened there, the country really was quite beautiful, free from smog and crowded by people. She had always loved Resembool, and enjoyed sleeping with her bedroom window wide open so she could gaze up at the stars, which shone so much more brilliantly there as opposed to in the city. 

She turned her head to the mismatched padding of footsteps coming up from behind her and lifted her eyebrow in confusion. "Ed?"

He paused momentarily, before continuing to her side and stood with his back turned from before the cliff overlooking the surrounding fields and houses in the rural town.

She had to marvel at the sight he made, sure his handsome looks were one thing, but for her, it was times like these. With him standing proudly in his foreign, but exotic clothing and drab brown overcoat as his long hair, tied in a ponytail, fluttered in the winds. His stern expression and hands behind his back posture seemed to give a regal air about him, steeliness and inner strength that was as strong as the molten colour of his eyes and, although he loathed the mere thought of it, the powerful heritage in which he came from served to add to that sublime aura.

He would always hold that profound and spiritual affect on her.

Except, right now he was eerily quiet. Usually, she could always gauge her best friend's moods. Hell it wasn't that hard, if he was pissed everyone knew and so would some property and buildings. Right now however, she had no idea if he was mad, or pissed, or even terribly worried. His lack of reaction was getting to her and she could never sit still in this kind of intangible tension.

When the silence drew on, Winry tilted her head upwards wondering why Ed had been attempting to get her alone with him if he was going to do nothing but just stand there, staring off over the horizon. There was seriousness in those gold eyes, making Winry wonder what was wrong with him. He was not one to stop and think about anything besides alchemy for long amounts of time.

"Ed…" Winry whispered in concern. "Is there something wrong?" She immediately bowed her head, afraid that she had broken the delicate atmosphere that had recently formed around them. How odd. Normally their atmosphere was full of yelling, smartass comments, and the inevitable throwing of wrenches. She couldn't help but let a ghost of a smile tug on her lips. "Has everyone gone home now?" She tried a different approach as she reached up, absently intertwining her fingers within her soft tendrils, twirling the pieces from her position on the ground with her knees tucked up against her chest; a nervous habit she had picked up from Elysia out of all people.

"Yeah…" He finally spoke and her head snapped up to look at him. "Some of them anyway. Gracia and Elysia, as well as a few members of the military and General dipshit are still here." The derogatory nickname he had for the older man seemed to slip so naturally that she couldn't help but chuckle.

From her position, she could make out the corner of his eyes as he still had them fixated across the countryside. Narrowing her eyes in a joking manner, she stared at his amber irises and golden hair that practically put the poor sun to shame, slightly envious of his beautiful locks. _'How come it seems like the guys have all the cool features?'_ She grumbled to herself internally, trying to will the uneasiness out of her system.

Without really thinking about it, she heard herself whisper. "I'm sorry." For what reason, she had no idea, but she wanted to break him out of his uncharacteristic shell somehow. When he finally did turn around she was caught off-guard and stilled at the unusual expression he was giving her. There was a seriousness denoting that he was really debating something within his mind.

"Winry…" Ed let out a sigh, resuming his view of the pastures rather than the woman sitting on the grass. "You know, you really shouldn't be the one saying that."

Winry blinked at the reprimand. It was like a tiny slap on the wrist compared to what she had been expecting. Perhaps if she waited, he would blow up at her and everything would be relatively normal again.

She scrunched up her eyebrows, trying to read his vague words through his eyes. "I know inviting everyone to come see you and Al was probably the last thing you had ever wanted." Winry plucked a stray buttercup from the ground, holding it up to the slowly diminishing light. "I mean it's all over now, right? You and Al can finally relax without a care." She brought the little yellow flower to shine underneath her chin, giggling at the old wise tale she had been told as a child, and still believed to this day.

Ed looked over his shoulder, smiling at the girl's childish wonder to something so inanimate and simple like a flower. She would never change. "Yeah, Winry, Al's back to normal now and there aren't really anymore threats." It always was astonishing how Winry could simply push aside the dark tragedies she herself had suffered through alone and bounce back into her old self of squealing at tools and different automail designs, yet still gawk at the flora. He was beginning to wonder if she was her own foil. It seemed like nothing could take Winry from the simplest to the most technological of things that always gave her great pleasure.

"I'm glad that you two are safe… now I won't have to worry about you guys anymore." Winry said with finality, happy that everyone she loved had the opportunity to get on with their lives without the constant threat that had always hung over them. "Wait… what about your automail, Ed?" It would be a damn shame to lose his business, but she could understand that he would want his flesh limbs back.

"It's fine…" He took to staring off in the distance again. "Me and Al talked about it. He's always wanted to find a way to return my body back to normal, but I was the one who started it. I wasn't going to sit around knowing that he paid more than me, and as long as he's safe and back to the way he should be… I'm fine with this." He flexed his metal arm and looked back at the same time she turned away.

Winry let out a sigh, dropping the yellow flower onto the grass. It looked like things were finally going to work out for the brothers, and they would probably leave soon enough to embark on a new journey, after all, Ed could barely sit still for five minutes. She was also certain that he would want to proudly show off his brother to the many people they'd met along their journey. She was a fool if she believed that they would actually stay, not when there was a whole world out there that they could travel through without having to worry about the dangers lurking around every corner.

And now… they didn't need her anymore.

"Well… you two can pick up from where you left off. You probably have a lot of things you want to do." She found herself tugging on the blades of grass again. She had finally realized only a small while ago that her feelings for him were more than just the concern she carried for both of them. It hadn't been an easy thing to admit to herself, she was far too practical to believe in love since she was a child, back then, it had been nothing short of puppy love. Yet what she felt for Ed was nothing like she had ever come close to feeling before. Before he had left the last time, she had wanted so badly to tell him how she felt, but all she could do was braid his hair.

"Right." Ed let out a sigh. The two of them had always fought and threw dirty looks, but to be honest, he couldn't stay angry with her, hell he didn't think that anyone could be upset with her. They were just confused as what to do next; one of the most complicated scenarios life had to offer. When he and Al were on their adventures, although it was a morbid one, _that_ was their direction. Now he felt like he had just gone awol and found himself antsy from the painful lack of activity this place brought. They had spent a long time fighting to have that threat gone and things relatively back to normal. Yet no matter what, he and his brother had always found themselves back here…

So… what now? Would they move in to stay with Winry and Aunt Pinako? They had nowhere else to go and he knew they would always be welcome there. Though so much had happened…would he ever be able to settle down into a quiet life again without growing bored? There was something he had to know… with eyes narrowed in determination he looked down at his lifelong support. "What are _you_ going to do now?"

She was startled at his question. This was certainly new. "Hm… probably what I've always done. Dominic has taught me everything he has to offer, and I'm still honing my skills to become a better mechanic. I was thinking of doing a little travelling myself to learn all the trades."

He smiled down and took a few steps so he stood in front of her. "I've never had to tell you to move forward, you just do it." His eyes were still narrowed in concentration. "I mean…" He faltered as he fell down on one knee before her.

Winry gasped as he took her hand, squeezing it awkwardly. _'Wha… what's he doing?'_ She had seen this expression before, whenever he was set on a course of action and determination ruled over everything else. It was always all about action with him. It had been the reason why Winry didn't think he would ever stay. However, right now his eyes were intense and unsure, while she felt hollow on the inside as heat rushed to the spot below her eyes and across the bridge of her nose.

"Winry, both me and Al have had enough of the outside… with the horror we've seen caused by the people themselves, and from what I saw when I was with my old man… I want to stay here."

"St-stay?" She certainly couldn't ignore the shock and hope both intertwined in her thoughts.

"But…" His hand- the flesh hand he was using- tightened around hers momentarily. "It won't be the same if you aren't there, Win- _well_, what I'm _trying_ to say is…" He seemed a bit agitated and Winry internally giggled, until his next words left her speechless.

"Will you let me stay here, _with you_?"

Winry was all but stunned that he would be forthright and ask her. She stared into his firm eyes patiently waiting an answer. Her heart raced as she blinked a few times, wondering if this was all just a beautiful dream. Was he really asking her what she thought he was asking her?

Well, it was too late for Ed to take it back, so Winry all but threw her arms around his neck as she rammed into him, almost shoving him backwards. "Yes!" She hugged him good and hard as tears fell from her eyes, which in turn made him blush scarlet.

It wasn't official, but it was the offer of a certain promise that made her heart swell with happiness.

After a moment he gently pushed her backwards, his face still pink as his eyes shifted away from her. She looked at the uncertain glaze in his eyes for a moment before quietly bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. His eyes widened a fraction as did his blush darken as she turned his face slightly. He looked into her velvet blue eyes for a moment, studying the serene and comfortable sheen to them as did he look at the tiny smile her lips formed… her full and almost pouty lips… he gulped as his body stirred and heat filled his lower stomach. He had no previous experience with this, he never really had the time, but something was urging him on now.

She hesitated for a moment and leaned away from his face, a dark blush deepening as she watched him lean forward whispering her name, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

His lips were soft and firm and she revelled in the first kiss that he had instigated between them. Her blush stayed in place as she heat spread throughout the whole of her body as he gently wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, leaving absolutely no buffer zone. After a moment, her lips slowly left his only momentarily before he kissed her again, this time more urgently.

This time Winry's eyes stayed open momentarily, until the initial shock faded. Since when was Ed so open with his emotions anyway? Did something happen to him from… wherever he came from? After she stopped thinking though, her eyes slipped closed.

He was pushing her back a little, but stopped before he had her all the way back. He then caught her completely off-guard when she felt the tip of his tongue curve over her bottom lip and run over both sides slowly and she responded by curving her mouth around his and allowed his tongue to slip through. All she could do was relish in the sensations he was making her feel, it was a little forceful, but she wasn't complaining about the warmth she felt pooling in her lower body as his tongue slid against hers. However, when she felt the feminine source of her hormones twitch, the heat suddenly felt stifling and the need for some personal space rattled her into breaking away from him.

"Win… ry?" He was panting hard as was she, but as his hazy mind clicked back to reality, he instantly became worried. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" His soft, angelic voice calmed her and she felt guilty for being so abrupt in pulling away.

"Oh… no, Ed. Of course not." Winry reached out, taking his hand just in case he decided to flee from her thinking he had harmed her instead of kissed her. Her heart raced wildly at what had just occurred but she quieted herself down quickly giving Ed a grateful smile to still those wide golden eyes. "I'm fine, really, Ed." He nodded slowly, still uncertain and somewhat angry with himself, but she gave him a reassuring smile.

The feeling of excitement over what just happened bubbled up once again, and with her free hand, she brushed back his ponytail, which had fallen forward, behind his shoulder. "Grandma will be happy too, I can't wait to tell her!" She sobered momentarily and smiled softly at him. "Thank you."

Ed nodded once before he stood up, taking her hand with his own and pulled her up with him. He glanced at her and sighed a little disheartened, giving in to the fact that the best he could do is match her height. They walked back to the Rockbell's residence in silence, however, when Winry glanced at him through the corner of her eye she couldn't help but smile as the sense of flattery settled over her, given the colour his cheeks currently were. Meanwhile, her mind was jabbering on about how her family would react or how everyone else would take the news.

She felt a bit of elation seeing three of them just ahead, which pulled her from the oddity of the situation with Ed. Roy leaned over towards Riza, whispering something in her ear, which in turn made Riza's eyes widen and she shoved him away from her. Winry smiled and rushed over to the older woman when she turned to her.

"Winry-san…" She smiled knowingly at her. "How do you feel about all that's happened in the past few days? It must be fatiguing."

"I'm fine, Riza, really." She reassured the apprehensive look on the lieutenant's face as she looked around, trying to locate someone until they settled on a dim light in one of the upper bedrooms.

Riza followed her gaze back to the house. "What are you looking for?" She kept a hushed tone, considering that this was probably a private matter, and Roy, Edward and Alphonse were standing just a few feet away, yammering on about something.

"I was just looking for Rose. I wanted to talk to her." After all, was a part of this really fair to _her_?

"I believe she said that she was putting Adam to bed and was about to turn in herself." A change of topic crossed her mind as she smirked at the teenage girl. "Edward went looking for you when you'd left. What were you two talking about for so long? If you don't mind my asking."

Winry's pulse dropped a bit, her stomach twisted at what Rose might say when she found out… but that was beside the point, right? Ed had come back, and he was staying for good this time. "Riza-san, Ed wants to stay here…" She swallowed the excitement bubbling up inside of her. "… with me."

Riza's usually intense eyes softened as she reached out and placed her hand on the young woman's shoulder. "That's great, Winry-san, I'm truly happy for you. It looks like he's grown up a bit." She gave a quick, covert glance in Ed's direction, but rolled her eyes when he started yelling about something, that something probably being a short comment.

"Yeah, but…" Winry frowned and made eye contact with her. "What about you and Mustang? Anyone can see that you two are involved, and you can't go behind the military's back, that's no life."

"Roy and I have both decided to resign from our positions. At least until the ordeal with who will be named the new Fuhrer is over with." She gave a reassuring nod at the stunned look on Winry's face. "Right now there's a lot of civil unrest, but perhaps one day things will settle down and Roy will be able to achieve his goal." She lifted her gaze to the sky, smiling slightly.

Winry watched her silently for a moment as she lifted her hand from her shoulder. Since the time she had taken that ride on the train back to Central with the first Lieutenant, she had grown a substantial amount of respect for the woman; a respect that would make her stop to listen to her words. She always seemed to deal with any kind of situation so calmly, and if something did upset her, it had do be something emotionally distressing for her.

Most importantly, with the way she had spoken of the now Brigadier General, it was obvious that she would do anything to help him achieve his ultimate goal, at _any_ cost. It was that kind of devotion that would keep them together no matter what, even way down the line when they were senile and bickering all of the time.

Now things seemed to be settling down into a low-profile lifestyle, the kind of life she was most used to and the only one she had really ever known. Winry smiled happily for Riza, but a small part of her heart was sullen at her own news. For as long as she could remember, all she'd wanted was for things to go back to the way they had been when her and the Elric brothers were children, so she wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. On the other hand, she had always found that curiosity got to her about the types of things they had to deal with, but none of that mattered anymore. Now it looked like things were going back to normal, well, as normal as things could get.

This is what she wanted, right?

Winry shook her head from those thoughts. "And now Al can start from where he left off. In a way, it's almost better that he came back in his ten-year-old body, it's like he really didn't miss much." She smiled as she folded her arms behind her back and glanced up at the sky as well, lightly swaying on one heel. "It's like time, in some way, stopped just for him." Riza tilted her head back down and nodded in agreement.

It would be a difficult road for Al, since he couldn't remember anything from his and his brother's transgressions or their adventure, but Winry was sure that being with his brother would help him get over it and they would be a family all over again.

She looked over to where Riza was staring off towards the others, and at the very boy they were just discussing, who was standing against a fence while Mustang stood beside him, draping an arm over his shoulder while trying to teach the boy some tactics for wooing a girl. Since one day he would probably grow up to be more than just an eligible bachelor, why not start young? Which would be much better than something like Havoc's cheesy pick-up lines. Meanwhile, Al was blushing madly and coughing uncomfortably into his hand.

Roy Mustang, the notorious skirt-chaser teaching innocent, Alphonse Elric tactics? Exasperating.

Winry's eyes strayed towards the voiced out explicative that came from none other than Edward, who was glaring over at Mustang, telling him not to mess with Al's head. Then Al did something that made even his brother stare down at him with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. Did Al just sidle away to ask Ed for help? Instead of Mustang?!

Just peachy, one idiot teaching sly methods while the other was teaching useless tactics; all on a boy who would probably never use either of them.

There would be hell to pay tonight by many women of the town, child or adult, and there would be no living with any one of those… _boys_.

Winry really wanted to say that this is what she had been wanting for a long time. So why was her mind so full of regret? Right now she just had to go inside to talk to her grandmother or Gracia. She could slip away unnoticed for a couple of hours while the festivities were going on. The night sky was ebbing away into darkness, and the end of the Elric brother's long journey and their reunion marked a new beginning, any kind of beginning.

Besides, there was still the matter of speaking with Rose.

So while Ed was in a heated discussion- _ahem_- argument with Roy on how to properly ask a woman out on a date, she excused herself from Riza who just shook her head in exasperation, stating that she would also go inside soon…

Because of all the things they just _had _to argue about… who knew it would eventually turn into this?

Poor, poor Al.

She took a few silent steps backwards, away from the others before she turned, heading towards the front porch and went inside the house, which was also bustling with activity.

* * *

Winry couldn't help but pause in the doorway at just what the activity consisted of, the sound of bickering. 

Well, it wasn't really bickering, it was the sound of some of Mustang's subordinates trying to talk her grandmother into letting them move the dining room table into the living room. She leaned against the doorframe as Den came up to her and nudged her hand, so she stroked him behind the ears as she listened for a moment.

"_Please_, Mrs. Rockbell." Breda was almost begging, as were the looks Fuery and Falman were wearing. In fact, Winry was surprised that they weren't down on their knees. "We won't make a mess. It's just an innocent game of poker."

"Absolutely not." Anyone could tell that there was no room for debate by Pinako's tone. "There will be no gambling in my house, boys." She puffed out a ring of smoke, which had Havoc wondering why he still couldn't master that. "Besides, you'll leave a scuff on my hardwood floor."

"No we won't." Fuery nudged him to the side, seeing is how the other man was getting absolutely nowhere in their… discussion. "We'll clean up any mess we make, and we'll only have a little to drink."

"A little? Do you think that makes a difference?" She removed the pipe from her mouth and glared up- well, more down at them, since Fuery and Breda were now on their knees. "Besides, there are minors here, not to mention a few small children!"

Havoc chuckled slightly, leaning casually against the back of a chair. "So? We'll leave the little ones out of it, but it'll be good for Fullmetal and Winry to have a little taste of adulthood." It really was meant to be a joke.

Winry moved out of the way just as Havoc came rushing by, followed by a bombardment of appliances and tools.

Although she was an adult to some standards in Amestris, she was at home, and by God if her grandmother found out, she would have to suffer through another of her long lectures.

Though she was pretty sure that it wouldn't be as bad as when she'd first learned about 'the birds and the bees.' An eight-year-old girl who had been hearing really _weird_ things about what intercourse was at school, and just wanted some reassurance that it wasn't done hanging upside-down and involved an extension chord and butterscotch.

Well… not _usually_.

Now _that _was unpleasant, and she was pretty sure that Ed and Al had gotten off without knowing about it for a bit longer.

"I told you guys that she'd say no." Maria was calmly sipping a cup of blackcurrant tea as she watching her co-worker's feeble attempt to persuade the old woman. "Besides, you know that you would make a huge mess. _Men_…" She shook her head. "They just have to destroy everything."

"Hey, I resent that!" Denny frowned from his seat next to her. "Not _all_ men are like that." Hell, he had to say something. The loins of men nationwide were on the line here!

"Sergeant…" She paused momentarily and looked over at him slightly surprised. "They're talking about letting a couple of young teenagers drink."

"I'm not defending _that_!" Denny huffed. "It's-"

Winry sighed in exasperation. It seemed like wherever she went today, she had to deal will one set of ridiculous antics after another. Although, it was nice to see everyone in such high spirits. Now that there were no longer any real threats in the world, everyone could finally live more comfortably. She gave Den one last scratch behind the ears before pushing herself off the doorframe and made her way up the stairs.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she quieted down, knowing that certain younger parties were probably already asleep. However, the good thought was almost spoiled when she rounded a corner and stopped dead when she almost plowed Rose over.

Winry managed to catch a few towels and a bottle that slid off the top of the stack of baby-related things she had in her arms. "Nice catch, Winry." She said uneasily as she straightened the remaining supplies. Winry grinned at her as she made sure the top of the bottle was screwed on tightly. "Looks like Ed's staying for good this time." She stated with a smile, making her way over to an open window at the end of the corridor.

"Yup… now that he and his brother are reunited and as normal as he wants it to be. I guess even Ed needs some down time after all that." She sighed as she placed the towels in the hallway linen closet.

"I meant, he's staying here _with_ _you_." Shaggy, pink bangs fanned off to the side as she turned slightly.

"Wha… how did you…?" Winry was startled to hear Ed somewhere outside screaming at presumably Mustang. She rushed over to Rose's side at the open window. She couldn't believe it, yet she could. They were _still_ yelling about the same thing, though it looked like Riza, and even Al had already gone inside. At the way Ed was wound up, she actually wouldn't be surprised if Roy went in too and he didn't notice.

**"Well, Winry said she likes me! So I probably DO know what I'm talking about, Colonel SHIT!"**

The blood rushed into her cheeks as she looked away in embarrassment while Rose simply giggled. It was also inaccurate to call him 'Colonel,' but old habits die hard. She coughed trying to regain her composure. "Actually, Ed's just lucky that I like his pretty, amber eyes."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Winry, you know you're not fooling anyone."

Winry folded her arms across the windowsill, resting her chin on top of them. It was true, He didn't just say he was going to stay, he wanted her to stay with him too, and frankly, she didn't quite know what to do with that. The way he seemed to settle back, but still have that longing for adventure reminded her so much of the young boy he used to be. She had grown accustomed to the very fitting metal exterior he had put up that she'd almost forgotten the boy he used to be.

"Winry…" Rose's soft voice called over to her. When her sapphire eyes slid over to her she continued. "I know what this is about…"

She pulled herself up so she could stand at eyelevel with the young mother. "I just wanted to know if you're okay with this. I mean…" She shifted uncomfortably, even if it was a topic that was never breached. "I knew you liked him, and I sort of had the feeling that you saw me as competition…"

Even after all this time, Rose couldn't help but nod slightly. "I did… at first, but not anymore." She glanced over to where Ed looked about ready to begin round two of _Fullmetal vs. Flame_. "When I heard about where that young homunculus was being taken to, it sounded like a great place to raise a child, but I also felt obligated to tell Ed's remaining family about what had happened to him." Her eyes darkened as morbid memories resurfaced. "To see him die, then brought back was a lot to take in, then he left again. I remember when I told you and your grandmother the story. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be so sad over the death of one solitary person. But…" She focused on the expression Winry was now wearing. It reminded her so much of that time, even if it wasn't that long ago. "You kept a mutually sad expression, but I could tell the news broke you, plus you were a girl around Ed's age who seemed to know him so well…"

A tense air settled over them momentarily until Winry spoke up quietly. "Not as well as you may think…"

She furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

"Rose…" She sighed. "You got to know him… both of them _while_ they were on their journey. Through all the major parts at that. You were even there when Ed made his final choice." She placed her hand on the whitewashed windowsill as she kept eye contact fixed with her. "You were there to support him when he needed someone the most… after he lost his brother." She bit her bottom lip, how she would've loved to be the one to comfort him during the painful moment that topped his childhood mistake.

"I know where you're heading with this…" She gripped onto the fabric of her long skirt. "But when he and his brother were reunited, what did they do? They came back here… to you and your grandmother-" She heard Den bark and laughed. "Yes, and of course Den, but mainly _you_." She enunciated for obvious reasons.

Winry sighed in defeat, Rose certainly did have a point, but she still couldn't shake the lingering feeling of sadness at the thought that they might have been isolating themselves from her. "The point is that nothing is carved in stone, and I don't want to lose our friendship. I don't want to go through with it if you feel bitter about everything."

Rose shook her head. "Winry, I will always care for him because he helped me get back on my feet and was there for me when I was at my absolute lowest, but I don't like him like that anymore. Just as a good friend." She lowered her voice as the quiet chatter of the occupants came closer to the stairs. "The only thing that matters to me right now is my son and Lior along with its people." Though in truth, she knew how much Winry meant to both of the Elric brothers, and that she probably couldn't compete with her.

Winry opened her mouth, but thought better of it. What could she really say to that anyway?

It was late by that point, so they both decided to call it a night. The house seemed quieter now, and she assumed that everyone would be turning in soon, the silence suggested that even Ed and Mustang had given it up… or perhaps Ed had finally snapped and killed the General once and for all.

As she placed her hand on the brass doorknob, she felt the rush of a chill work its way through her loose clothing. She felt a knot form in her stomach as the urge to say something more became apparent. "Hey, Rose…?" She started out of the clear blue." The other woman turned from the room where her son was sleeping soundly. "Good luck… with everything I mean. With the reconstruction of Lior and stuff, um…" She cleared her throat and turned once more to her. "There's no question in my mind that you'll make a great leader and a mother…" With that, she closed the door behind her with an almost resounding click.

Rose didn't say anything or even move for a moment. She had never really had many friends, just friendly acquaintances around Lior. She had always questioned the way she had led the remaining villagers out of the decimated town, but knew almost nothing about being a leader. The only people she had ever trusted were Kain and then the Elric brothers followed by the leadership skills she admired in Scar. Then after what she had learned about 'Lyra,' it certainly made her question her judge of character. Then of course, she met Winry and her friends and family, who had taken them in and opened the doors for a better life for her and her son. She was really going to miss them all.

"Thank you, Winry… for everything."

* * *

Winry sat in deep contemplation at the head of his bed. It had been a few days since Mustang, Hawkeye and the other military personnel had returned to Central, as well had Izumi and her group returned to Dublith. Now as the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon, giving off a dark glow to the pastures, Al was at the station bidding Gracia and Elysia goodbye. Even Rose was planning to return to Lior in the morning. 

They had been spending a lot of time together lately, which puzzled her to no end. To be sitting here at his back once again was definitely a sense of deje'vu as she wound his hair into his notorious braid- though it looked much better when she did it for him.

Ed felt very relaxed. He didn't realize how much he liked having his hair played with. People paid others to play with their hair and up until now he couldn't understand why. Not that there was ever anyone around who could, and most wouldn't let just anyone play with their hair. It was in this moment of peace that he asked her something he wanted to for awhile.

"Winry?"

"… hmm?"

He could tell that her mind was elsewhere. "Do you remember back in Rush Valley?" You said you would train harder to become a better mechanic, but you never got to tell me why."

She finished his braid. Her hands dropped into her lap and she sat still. She had to give him credit; he'd remembered even when she wished for him to forget. She had cried again and he must have got irritated by it. She still hadn't answered his question. He turned to face her but she did not look up. It was over now, so why not tell the truth and not have to face him for awhile.

"I thought…" She began. "That if I could make the best automail you would stop looking for a way to get your real arm and leg back. Then… you would come home to me, but…" She sighed. "That was then, but I understand that you'd want your real arm and leg back." She chuckled a bit, remembering the time of their first visit in three years when she thought it was insane for him to even think about giving up his automail limbs.

She had seriously hoped that 'to me' had meant little to him and she cursed herself for letting it slip. It wouldn't have stood out back then so why would it now. After a moment of silence she felt a hand push her chin up. She had a moment to look into his eyes, before he kissed her softly on the lips, just like before.

He wasn't sure why he had done it. At the time it was the best way for him to express his emotions as well as the best thing to do. So he was god awful with words, which male wasn't? Even Winry knew he could never speak of what was going on inside his heart or mind. A kiss, very spontaneous for him, seemed best. It was short, but left Winry with a shocked look on her face, touching her fingers to her lips as she gazed at him so… lovingly.

Ed shifted slightly, knowing he could take no more. He leaned his head towards her and claimed her lips, touching them hesitantly again with his own. Winry's lips softened and parted slightly as he kissed her, returning his growing passion.

* * *

"That was…" There were no words to describe what he had just experienced with her. 

She chuckled as it seemed they had just fallen into one of those stereotypical speechless periods that first-timers usually had. "Yes, it was…" She smiled softly, gazing up at the ceiling and the midnight prints cast in from the window.

"Winry…?"

"Hmm?" She looked over at him, her eyes soft and shiny in the light the moon cast through the window.

"I'm glad that it was you I got to experience this with you for the first time. I don't think I would've had it any other way…" He paused, looking for words to describe what he was feeling. "I felt warm… and comfortable."

Winry smiled to herself, wrapping her arms in front of her chest as the coolness of the room pricked at her skin. The blush she had worn the whole time lessened to a mere glow, though it didn't disappear completely as she still felt warm liquid slowly dripping backwards along her thigh, as she knew it was probably mixed with a bit of her blood. Only she didn't care about that, not even the dull ache she felt up between her legs.

She quietly rolled over on her side and pulled her body until she was pressed against her. She wasn't oblivious to the little satiated grin just begging to show itself as she slung her arm over him, resting her hand on his chest.

In turn, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer, feeling Winry relaxing in his arms, her heartbeat and breathing returning to normal as she snuggled against him until they both fell asleep like that, lulled by the sounds of crickets chirping as a cool breeze whipped through the small town.

* * *

_"First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity."_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. It belongs to Hiromu Arakawa and all of those other Anime related companies. 

_So_, who wants to read the un-cut version of the last scene? Well, due to rules and regulations on this site, there is no explicit material allowed at all, so what I'm going to do is post them somewhere else. Click on my profile and use the link to get there. I'll warn you at the beginning of a chapter when this comes into play.

**_Please Review!_**


	2. The Inevitable Move… Part 2

**_The Shadow of the Day_**

**_Chapter 2 "The Inevitable Move of a Desperate Boy… Part 2"_**

Ed sighed impatiently, scuffing his foot against the cement. Now, he was pretty damn sure that things couldn't get much worse. It had been a few days since everyone had gone back to their homes, but now just one day later, he found himself at Central because Al wanted to get is fill on the things he'd missed out on.

That wasn't the reason why though. It was because Winry had been insistent upon coming along, and now she was doing what she did best; spending every last sen he had while trying to persuade both he and Al into a catch-up session with her… or as he would put it; Edward's session in hell. So while Winry was busy buying out the market, he and Al were currently taking root at a table outside a nearby fruit juice shop.

"Well, Nii-san…" Al started up, running his fingertips over the shiny new contraptions she had just made his brother lug over to where they were currently loitering. "It's not like you can't afford it with the money you made being in the military."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well…" He opened his mouth to protest, but came up blank. "Whatever…" He muttered. "Doesn't she have every damn tool already?"

He looked thoughtful, sucking on his strawberry-blended drink. "Well, she said that when a new brand comes out on sale, it's advertised with every monthly issue of her automail subscription. Apparently only some shops in Rush Valley and even fewer in Central carry them." He stated matter-of-factly.

Ed stared at him open-mouthed, and a little dumbfounded.

He suddenly felt like his collar was a few sizes too small, and tugged on it sheepishly. "Well, she tells me things." He gave a tiny shrug. "Automail-related things too."

Ed's facial expression didn't change. "And you actually listen… and _remember_?"

Al sighed. His brother's lack of attention certainly wasn't very inspiring. "Well, we should do something nice for her after all this." He placed his hand on his chin, his die hard childish habits creeping up on him again. "Why don't we take her to Rush Valley? It didn't go too well last time anyway…"

His mouth instantly opened in shock, and he rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding? I'd be broke by the end of the day… or hour… or minute!" He grimaced, leaning roughly on the side of his hand and drummed his fingers against the wooden surface of the table.

Time passed by slowly. The sun was burning brightly, causing his brother to dig his head into his arms. Al sat there with a grin on his face as he watched his older brother grimace. _'He has all the same traits. He is still the way I remember him…' _The fact was that he still couldn't remember everything, even though his brother was there. It had opened some of the pathways of his memories, but he still knew there were blanks and missing pages to he and his brother's journey.

"So, Nii-san…" Al began. His brother didn't quite remove his hand from shielding his head from the mid-afternoon sun, but he did make some sort of coherent grimace, so he continued. "I'm still worried about things. I mean, is it really over? I didn't think that we'd ever be rid of the dangers, and what of that 'gate of truth' place I kinda heard you bring up?"

He heard his brother groan as he lifted his head a little. "Well, I _guess_ we're not totally off the hook. I mean Wrath and Gluttony are still kickin' it around somewhere…" His eyes narrowed as he stared off into the distance. "Tucker and his form of Nina have disappeared, and as for Envy… well, I really don't know what happened to him after I saw him in the gate, and neither does…" He grimaced a bit.

Al crinkled his eyebrows. "What was that, Nii-san?"

"It's nothing, Al." He sighed. "Nothing at all." He didn't hate their father anymore, not really. After all, he had been able to spend some time with him during his time on Earth, albeit a very short time, but he had been able to understand his father's reasons for leaving, but still… if it wasn't for his help, Ed wouldn't be here with his brother and everyone else like this.

The real reason behind it was Al. Since he was a kid again, Ed could bet that his childish emotions were running on high, and learning that their dad had been close by would probably make Al filled with regret that he wasn't able to see him, as a human. He knew it wasn't fair, Ed didn't even really like him while Al did, yet he himself was the one who got to spend time with him… sighing, he took a sip of his own drink-

"EDWARD!"

"SHI-" He jumped about a foot and smacked his head against the pole of the table's umbrella and spit out his mouthful of mango fruit juice- all over Winry. Despite the sun's rays, it felt like the area had gone down a few degrees below zero as Winry _calmly_ wiped the saliva-mixed juice off her face.

He swallowed hard out of fear as he tugged harshly on his collar while Al pretended to be invisible. "S-sorry, Winry- didn't really see you there…" He gulped again and cringed as he awaited the appearance of her wrench.

"It's fine, Ed." She stated- still calmly- as she grabbed one of Al's napkins and wiped the splatter from her face.

He _slowly _lowered himself back onto his seat, adjusting his overcoat so it hung on either side. "You're not pissed?" There was a lot of suspicion in his voice.

"Nope…" She stated simply and Ed gradually felt the tension in his shoulders lessen. That was until she picked up his cup and spilt the remaining half all over his hair. Al couldn't help but burst out laughing at the look of shock on his brother's face as the icy liquid seeped under his collar and down his neck.

"WIN-RY!" Eyes aflame, he jumped up as Winry took the seat next to Al.

"Oh, and what're you going to do, short stuff?" She laughed a bit, intertwining her fingers together as she rested on her palms.

"DON'T relate my height to this because it's got nothing to do with it!"

"Nii-san, you're making a scene… _again_." Al shielded his face as a few people looked their way, but he still couldn't help but chuckle. Truthfully, it was times like these that were his favourites.

"You stay out of this, Al!" He shook his head a bit, trying to get the ice chunks out of his hair. "Damn it, I think you got some in my eye too…" He snorted and rubbed his face with the back of his sleeve and took a step back, forgetting that his chair was still behind him and tripped. Though he didn't fall far because he ended up smacking into the person behind him.

In his rage he felt like taking it out on whomever got in his way, until he paled at the sight of a grouchy-looking woman who was either incredibly obese or was wearing a blimp under her clothes. Behind him, Al and Winry were wearing similar expressions. "Look at what you did, you clumsy, little fool! You've broken my compact!" She scowled down at him, very mindful of her belongings that were now spilled all over the ground.

For once, one of his lines was lost in the back of his mind. "S-sorry, lady! Hey- uh, just give me a sec." He turned around to where his brother and Winry were now standing. "Al, get over here!" He hissed. Winry also caught on as she raced up to the woman to distract her as not to bring up the usual questions that Ed was now sick of answering.

"What is it, Nii-san?" Al asked in a hushed tone as he squatted down to his brother's level, both of them vaguely overhearing Winry gloating about her new purchases to the clearly dumfounded woman as she helped her put her things back into her purse.

"Here, Al." He pushed the broken pieces of the cosmetic set over to him. "Why don't you handle this one?"

He looked at him strangely. "Sure, Nii-san, I don't mind… but, why can't you do it?"

He could see an odd look in his brother's eyes, but then he shrugged sheepishly. "It's been awhile since I've done any alchemy, since it doesn't exist in the world I was in, so I'm probably a bit rusty." Al instantly perked up and quickly nodded, smiling at him in understanding as he pulled a piece of white chalk from his coat pocket and quickly drew an array, as he had many times before.

As the alchemic flash grew, Ed looked over at Winry and the woman, who looked like she wanted out from Winry's free advertising campaign and grinned as Al took it over to her. "Here you go, sorry about that." He smiled politely. All the woman did was grab the compact unceremoniously from Al's hand and stalked off with her nose held high.

Ed wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue. "Sour, old bat…" He muttered. Almost immediately, he took out his pocket watch and checked the time. "Shit, it's that late already?!" He shouted abruptly. "Winry, are you done? Can we go _now_?" He sighed, ignoring the heated glare she was giving him, but as he kept staring at her, the heat eventually found its way to her cheeks.

Al looked between them and grinned. It seemed like the effects his brother had on Winry were endless.

However, unbeknownst to the whole account, Ed snorted and spun on his heel. There was no way they were going to make it at this rate, so the fastest way to the station would be to cut through the back alleys. He grimaced, that was just asking for trouble, but nothing could be worse than the crap he'd gone through before.

Little did he know that in some ways, he chose to leave town just one damn minute too late.

* * *

"Alright, bitch, hand over the money now!" A man sneered pressing his gun further into a young mother's mouth. 

"M-Mama…" The little girl whispered, clutching tighter onto her mother's skirt as she felt her hand push her small form further behind her body.

"Either you hand over the money, or the little creampuff gets it in the head." He stated calmly, giving the girl a sadistic smile.

The mother instantly squealed, but the man holding the gun pulled it higher so she would have to stand up on her tip toes. The girl sniffled and looked from the man back to her mother. Following the demand of the deranged thief, the woman reached into her bag with the barrel of the gun still in her mouth as she felt the quivering form of her precious daughter.

"Well, something about this doesn't seem right…"

The man frowned at the cocky, but sardonic voice and turned to the side, the barrel of the gun was still in the woman's mouth, but the pressure had lessened. "Ya got a problem, _shortie_?"

"HEY, OLD MAN! DON'T ASSUME THINGS BASED ON HEIGHT!" Ed breathed deeply as he worked out the kink he just made in his arm from flailing around. He then sighed in real boredom as everyone there was looking at him strangely. "Why do people always say that anyway? They usually end up six feet under."

The man growled. "Feh, smartass, little punk! I'll teach _you_ a lesson!" He pulled away from the woman, but Ed's eyes widened as he realized that the idiot certainly had no clue about guns as his thumb brushed harshly against the trigger while it was still aimed at her.

Before the man even had time to strike, Ed was instantly in front of them, bringing his hands together as he, without thinking, transmuted his automail arm into his blade and held it up in front as the bullet ricocheted off the surface and grazed the man's shoulder. As he screeched out overdramatically, Ed's left arm came around as he punched him in the jaw, sending him sprawling on the ground.

He sweatdropped at the guy's haphazard form. Was it just him, or did dealing with these types of guys seem like a cakewalk now?

He sighed as he walked over to the woman and her daughter. "Hey, are you two okay?" He smiled, placing his hand behind his back as his automail's blade retracted.

The woman stood to her feet, wrapping her hands firmly around her daughter. "Yes, thank you. Thank you very much, young man." She smiled lightly, gripping onto her daughter's hand.

"You're awesome, mister!" The little girl grinned as her mother picked her up. "Mama says that when someone is good they get a treat, um…" She it her lip as she stuck her hand into her grab bag. "Here! Have a lolli!" She held out a cherry lollipop out to him.

Ed grinned as she practically rammed it into his hand before her mother carried her off. Really, it was all in a day's work.

"Nii-san!" "Ed!" Two voices called in unison.

He blinked and turned around just as Al and Winry rounded the corner the mother and her daughter had just went. "What took you guys so long?" He asked sarcastically.

Winry's lips were set in a firm line as she jabbed a finger in his face. "You just ran off all of a sudden and there's practically a hundred alleys in this one area!" She took a deep breath as Al bent over to look at something. "What were you doing anyway?"

"You certainly did a number on this guy, Nii-san." Al stated in amusement.

Winry turned around and jumped a little when she saw him, and Ed chuckled. "Yeah, he was after this lady's money, _but_…" He smirked just a bit ominously. "I taught him a _lesson_."

Al grinned as he stood up while Winry suddenly looked concerned. "You used alchemy, Nii-san? Guess you're not so rusty after all." He chuckled.

Ed nodded proudly and bowed until his eyes flew open and he shot up straight, hand flying to his flesh hand.

"Ed…?" Winry asked, hesitantly walking towards him slowly.

"NO!" He snapped, making her stop short. "Don't come any closer!"

"Nii-san…" His eyebrows crinkled together as he too came closer. "Nii-san, what's wrong?"

A spark ran through his left hand and he grunted, falling down on one knee. "NII-SAN!" He screamed, running over to his side. Winry stood where she was looking fearfully at the spot his automail hand was concealing.

"No, Al! I said STAY AWAY!" He cried out again as he removed his hand, revealing a black traced array that Al, and not even he himself had ever seen in any texts. Though Ed's eyes still grew fearful.

Al only backed away a little as the same shape reflected on the ground three times its size in a white light as the pain of needles seemed to continuously jab the area on his arm.

Just as the white light seemed so pure, lighting up the world, Al's eyes widened as it dulled down into a dark glow in the centre. He screamed and clutched his head as a torrent of memories clouded his vision, the light bringing him back to… that time. Ed's eyes were wide, but he gritted his teeth and snapped his eyes shut. This time, it was he alone who had brought this on, and that he broke the deal so it was only him who would have to pay.

Or so he thought.

It was different this time, as the light itself seemed to rip the ground in half. No it wasn't the light, something that was much stronger was ripping a hole into that world, and this time, it wasn't just the shadowy hands that were present that time. Al still hadn't moved away, but instead he crawled over towards his brother.

"Nii-san, what-" He nearly screamed when he felt something foreign wrap around his ankle.

"Al! What's wrong?" Winry clutched onto the textured surface of the wall, trying to resist whatever seemed to be pulling them towards the array. Carefully, she tried to pull herself over to the side they were on.

At hearing that, Ed's eyes bolted open. "W-what are you doing?!" He seemed to yell at nothing. "It's not him, it's ME you want!"

"Nii-san…" His voice quivered and was in slight alarm as something that was almost transparent coiled around his leg.

"AL!" He dove forward just as it roughly yanked his brother back, but he still latched onto his hand.

"Nii-san, don't…" Al glanced fearfully backwards as it coiled once more, and he could see exactly what it was going to do. He looked back at Ed who was trying to gain a bit of leverage. "It'll pull you in too."

"Ed!" Winry called out. "Give me your hand!" She cried out, locking her feet around a low-running pipe embedded in the wall.

Clutching onto Al's hand tighter, he reached back and grabbed onto hers as he started to pull him out, using Winry's support as leverage. Al looked back again as the pasty object flexed a little while still coiled from the hole behind him. It was taunting him. He looked back up worriedly as they both were trying to haul him out. There was no way he was going to let his brother _and_ Winry get pulled in with him.

Ed's eyes widened as he felt Al's hold go slack. He looked back only to see his brother smiling sadly at him. "No, Al, don't do it!"

Though it was too late, his fingers had already slipped through his and was instantly pulled back, and into the darkness.

He pulled himself forward, the pain in his arm weighing him back. "NO, you can't take him! It was MY fault, you can't take him away from me!!" He screamed, but the light had already dissipated as had the crack, and he slammed his fist into the ground, splitting open his knuckles.

Winry stared at the back of him, frozen to her spot on the cement as he shook. She didn't understand what had just happened, but Al… she watched him only for one more minute as coppery fluid ran down his hand before crawling over to his side. She rested half on her hip as she looked up sadly and confused into his eyes. He didn't even know she was there as he stared down at the spot blankly, mouth quivering.

Gods… what had he done?

* * *

Pinako had always been able to sense tension, and it was certainly deafening within the Rockbell home. 

She glanced over at Den who was laying down by the door to the workshop, where Winry currently was, only she wasn't actually working, the heavy silence from the room being the clue. They say that animals can sense the moods of others better than anything else, and all the old boy seemed to do for the past few days was follow Winry around, but still give her space. That, or he would sit outside of the room Alphonse had resided in…

Her eyebrows crinkled as she lowered her gaze to the ground. She had instantly known that something was amiss when her granddaughter and Edward had come home. Not because Alphonse wasn't with them, heck he could've just gone to visit the boys' old teacher or perhaps stayed with the Hughes' a little longer. No, it was the look in Winry's eyes, and she could always tell when something was bothering her granddaughter. Edward held the same look, but he had locked himself up in his room before she could question him.

Winry was the one who had broken the news to her.

It had been a week since they returned, and for the first five days, Edward never left his room, but Winry still went in there to visit him. Then after awhile, he started coming out on his own, but spent his days either on the porch or going for walks. Either way, he wasn't mindless, he still deep in thought. At least he hadn't completely isolated himself, he still let Winry in, even if he didn't speak much, if at all.

She was fully aware of the changes in them lately, and the fact that they seemed close. Nothing was said, but she also knew about the solitary night they'd spent together, after all, she did have ears. Some things were better left unsaid though, especially at a time like this. Besides, Winry and Edward were not stupid, they knew about the potential consequences and that they would have to take responsibility for their actions, as does everyone else, and she would expect nothing less of her own granddaughter.

For a moment, she stood in the doorway of the workshop, watching in concern as Winry, clad in her mechanics attire, sat at her workbench with her head laying on her arm as she mindlessly held a small screw between her thumb and index finger, flipping it back and forth. She had already suggested that Winry should take a break from all this and visit Rose or another friend, but she flat out refused to leave Edward alone.

She sighed as she walked up to her quietly. "You shouldn't fall asleep down here, kiddo, you'll wake up feeling older than me." She stated softly, placing her hand on the girl's head, rubbing it gently.

"I know…" She dropped her hand on the desk, her fingers still curled around the screw, but didn't make a move to get up.

Pinako stared into her granddaughters hollow eyes, as though life itself had been taken away from a beautiful misty meadow, leaving behind caverns of emptiness. She wondered if Winry was too broken to return back to the way things were, if that was even possible. Not when a member of the family had been taken away from them.

The same look was in Edward's eyes, but not emotional.

It was the worst feeling in the world, one that only a parent should feel, but she did as well. To have to sit back and watch as these two, who were like her own children, fall further apart and not being able to do anything about it. A feeling of helplessness, as it was, for the strong-willed Elric boy and her own son's beautiful daughter.

Winry glanced to the side until a flicker of light caught her vision. "Granny…" Winry whispered in a sultry voice completely not her own.

She nodded. "I'm here."

Winry stood up, smoothing the creases out of her pale lavender pants as she looked out the window in front of the desk towards the darkened fields that held a strange light to them. "Do you see that?"

Pinako turned towards the window. "What is it, dear?"

Winry furrowed her eyebrows, squinting through the window, but there was nothing but a twinkling night sky and pastures. "It's nothing, I guess." Although her grandmother knew better and sometimes tried to coax to the girl to eat more than she had been.

Pinako sighed as she picked up the phone and began dialling in a number she thought she'd never use. If Winry didn't want to leave Edward's side so she could visit a friend, she would just have to get them to come to her and perhaps open her eyes.

* * *

She was coming… Winry was so excited that she'd spent the entire morning pacing back and fourth in the house like a hyperactive kid who'd had more than their fair share of sugar. Ed had grown exasperated from her anxiety and was now currently taking root on the porch swing. She was never a patient person, her grandmother had always told her. Winry was the kind to rush downstairs in her pyjamas and tear open her birthday presents. 

When she heard Den's barking, signalling that someone was coming up the dusty path and was almost at the house, she about ripped the screen door apart. "Riza-san!" She squealed, seeing the older woman stop at the foot of the steps and smile up at her. Taking the porch steps two at a time, she leapt up, wrapping her arms around the former First Lieutenant.

Riza was startled as she felt the full brunt of Winry's assault. She wasn't used to such contact and enthusiasm, but then again, this was Winry Rockbell, so she smiled and patted the young woman on the back. She looked up at the porch and was a bit disturbed to see Edward gazing mindlessly at the horizon, a look of perpetual nothingness within his eyes.

"Riza-san, I've been waiting for you all morning." Winry took her hand and sleeve, pulling her up the steps and into the house. "Come on, do you want some tea?"

Hawkeye stared at the back of Winry, knowing that something was wrong with her. Her eyes were lacking the usual sparkle and were more the dismal colour of slate. She also looked too thin and too pale to be well. Before she followed Winry inside, she looked over at Edward again. Now he was glaring over at her as if she was a known enemy instead of someone he had befriended along his journey. His behaviour was certainly more than a little disturbing.

"Winry-san, are you okay?" She asked the next morning. Winry looked so tired as of late, so that morning Riza pulled the reluctant girl out of her workshop to go on a short walk. Now the two of them were sitting on the steep, grassy hill by the old river that ran through the town. It was the only time so far when Ed was not standing two feet away from the poor girl. Why was he so guarded all of a sudden? Even more than he used to be. His strange over-possessiveness of Winry bothered Hawkeye into wondering why he was acting like this, like he was afraid of something…

"Yeah, I'm fine." Although Winry's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

Hawkeye frowned. "I know something's wrong." When Winry bowed her head, shielding her eyes with her bangs, she went on. "Edward's not acting like himself."

"I know…" Winry whispered.

"How long has he been acting this way?" Hawkeye wondered, especially seeing the girl so thin.

"Three months." Winry mindlessly picked a dandelion, letting the pollen glide off their pedestal into the breeze.

"About the time you, him and Alphonse visited Central." She furrowed her eyebrows. "That reminds me. When your grandmother called, she said that Alphonse decided to go visit the boys' teacher. He still isn't back yet?" She was fully aware of Winry's short in-take of breath and narrowed her eyes in concern.

"No… no, he hasn't." She let out a sigh and wrapped her arms around her knees, bringing them up snugly against her chest. She felt the intensity of Riza's eyes drilling into her. She knew she couldn't fool the older woman, she really did, but…

_"Don't tell anyone else a word, Winry." She sometimes wondered why his golden eyes seemed to repel her own sapphire ones, instead of melting into them like she'd wanted. "They'll only interfere. I'm going to bring him back, at any cost."_

_And she really believed him._

"Winry…" Riza's firm yet comforting voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Tell me what's really going on." Her tone was slightly demanding too. The strange shudder she noticed running through Winry's body, the fearful expression in her eyes took her back. Only one thing could dampen the young woman's spirits so much. Riza knew the answer… Edward.

But there was something more…

"Oh, Riza…" Winry's voice was shaky and muffled as she buried her face in the crook of her knees, and Riza could tell that she was crying. The girl was never one to conceal her emotions, yet she was still very strong. It was heart-wrenching to see her breakdown.

For the next little while, she spilled out everything to Riza, despite what Ed had told her. To say that the older woman was shocked was more than an understatement. Yet her expression remained indifferent as Winry spoke her mind, every word that slipped out of her mouth seemed to be laced with grief. She remained silent until she finished confiding in her. Riza really felt honoured at that, considering they had only become friends as of late.

She exhaled deeply, keeping her head bowed towards her knees. "And now… I don't know what more I can do for him, but I will always give my life to him." She blinked when realization hit that she'd used the word give instead of share, at the same time the woman next to her narrowed her eyes for a sliver of a second.

Riza waited a moment longer before she reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go for a walk, you need a break from all this." Gently, she pulled the broken girl to her feet to continue along the path. She knew that it must be hard on Winry as well, Alphonse was like a little brother to her too. She could only imagine what Edward was going through…

"But, I'm afraid…" She reached up, wiping the evidence of her despair from her eyes. "I'm afraid of w-what he might do. They were always inseparable, and now… I just don't want to lose them both…"

"Elysia's starting her first year of school in a few days." Hawkeye knew that would get the girl's attention, since the two seemed so close.

"How… is Elysia doing?" Winry asked, regretting the fact that she couldn't visit the young girl herself. She just couldn't leave Ed in the condition he was in. She needed to be there so he didn't completely lose his mind.

"She's very intelligent, despite her age." She glanced over as the gleeful shouts of children playing in the lush fields made her smile. "She likes to visit Roy… and ask about Maes. He is careful with his choice of words of course." A wave of silence settled over them for a moment as they reminisced in the late afternoon sun. Nothing but the casual sounds of the rural town filled their ears as their walk drew to an end, as the yellow house came into sight.

"She's growing up so fast. I bet she'll do great things." Winry paused in her walk and smiled sadly, knowing she was missing out. She had really taken what Hughes had said to heart; about them being like sisters.

Riza stopped as well a few steps ahead and looked back at Winry who stood shakily, holding her middle while fiddling with the material of her shirt. It felt so wrong to her. Winry had waited so long for the return of the Elric brothers, and now something else had to happen to screw things up for them. The girl really had been cheated on more than one occasion, and now she was being robbed of her happiness again. "Winry-san, I'm leaving in the morning. You should come with me and I can take you to stay with the Hughes' for awhile."

"You make it seem like I'm unhappy." Winry looked up at the placid older woman, searching her bronze eyes for an answer to her own problems.

"_Are_ _you_?" The intensity in Riza's eyes had returned as she looked down at the girl with wistful concern.

That was the last thing Riza told her…

And Winry knew that she should have listened.

It had been another couple of weeks since Riza had last come to visit. Winry had started to lose track of time as she watched the man she loved sink further and further away from reality. She wasn't even sure if she knew what day it was anymore.

* * *

"Ed…?" Winry opened the door quietly, careful not to let the hinges squeak. It was late already, almost eleven o'clock, and she hadn't seen him since the day before. "Sorry I woke you." She opened the door a little further, letting the light illuminate his room better. She blinked when she realized he wasn't there. The blankets were a jumbled mess, but his bed was empty. She released the door handle and rubbed the back of her neck, something about this seemed wrong. 

She looked around the room he was currently taking root in. There were a few articles of clothing scattered on the carpet and a bunch of what she presumed to be alchemy books lying open on the floor as well. She walked over and bent down to clean up some of his clutter. She picked up one of the books, upside down at first, but didn't bother flipping it around. After all, what difference would it make? It was all gibberish to her. She lowered herself on her knees as she slung his clothing over the crook of her arm, at the same time she looked around. There were papers scattered across the desk and bedside table, and the blinds were drawn partway, still allowing some of the moonlight to seep through.

She sighed. Life in the rural town certainly sucked as of late.

After she shoved the clothing into one of the drawers, which was just as disorganized, she left the room and went downstairs where her grandmother was standing by the kitchen window, looking outwards at the sky. "Hi, Grandma."

Pinako turned to her, looking over her inquisitive stare. "Winry, what are you doing up at this hour? You don't have any late jobs tonight."

She shook her head, placing a hand on her hip. "No, but…" She paused as she looked to where Pinako had been staring at so intently. "Have you seen Ed?" It was late, and she was worried that he hadn't even eaten since yesterday.

Though Winry didn't like the look on Pinako's face as she turned back to the window. "I haven't seen him, but there is a strange light hovering over the fields." Winry followed her gaze and just about froze. Not because of the dark light that seemed to flicker red, but because of where it seemed to be coming from.

She turned on her heel and immediately bolted for the front door. "Winry? Are you all right?" Pinako asked, seeing as the girl was acting very strange, this situation somehow seemed familiar. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Den perked up his ears and lifted his head from where he had been lying in the foyer, whimpering as Winry rushed passed.

Winry stumbled a bit as she pulled on her shoes, tying them into a mess of knots. "I'll be fine, Grandma, you know I can take care of myself." She gave her a brilliantly nervous smile and shoved the screen door aside and shot down the porch stairs into the brisk night air.

She shivered as she strolled through the gloomy shadows and followed the familiar trail leading up the hill, wrapping her thin clothing tighter around her body. She blinked as the light disappeared momentarily when she neared the top, fully aware that she wouldn't let her eyes move over to the charred remains. When she looked over to the far side she ducked behind the burnt tree on the property.

Edward flexed his fingers a few times before taking a deep breath. It had taken him forever to figure out the array used to open the gate, since he had only seen that evil bitch do it once. He exhaled finally as he clapped his hands together. _'Please let me have my brother back, please give him back to me…' _"HE'S THE ONLY LITTLE BROTHER I HAVE!" With every bit of strength he could muster, he slammed his hands onto the circle.

Too close. Winry felt her blood chill as a strange light illuminated the area, and she suddenly felt confined and much too close to where he was as she felt herself being pulled forward as a piercing white light filled the area, engulfing everything within the radius of the Elric's property.

When the light faded, she felt her heart stop as she fell to her knees at the sight she was beholding. It was more than a little daunting, and the image that pieced itself together in her mind of a thick stone structure with ancient inscriptions along the outside of the frame only added to it. The inside of it was dark, but soon it seemed to come to life as huge stone doors swung open, revealing countless sets of the glossy eyes you would see on someone who had just died.

And in front of her was Ed, as tense as ever, staring murderously up at the spectres. As far as she knew, he still didn't know she was there.

"You're back again, foolish human. You've become a regular, haven't you?"

She found the voice to be strange. It was cold and warm at the same time. The feeling of chills crawling up her spine made itself known as she felt drawn towards the voice all the same. It was far from any tangible thing she'd encountered.

"Give me back my brother." The dark tone of his voice even made her shiver as did his firm stature.

"That's going to take a fair bit, Edward Elric."

He growled, grounding his metal fingers together. "This isn't about him, it's about me. _I'm _the one who broke the rules, so I'm the one who'll pay the price!" Unbeknownst to him or Winry, one of the gate's many shadowy hands had slithered out of the opening.

"Tell me something…" The voice queried. "If I take your life, what next? You'll be dead and all your troubles will be over. No, Mr. Elric, I want you to suffer. You've come and gone by this area way too many times to be ignored. Why do you think I did that to your brother in the first place all those years ago? It would have been the fastest way to drive you into a pit of perpetual sorrow."

His eyes widened, unmindful as the black silhouette slithering around his feet before eventually passing by. "What are you?" He suddenly took a step back, fear etching its way into his voice. "ANSWER ME!"

"I'm a collector, Edward Elric. You could say that I collect the souls of beings who have lucked out one too many times or can't afford to pay the price."

"And what gives YOU the right to decide who goes?!"

The voice was silent for a moment, but not because of his question, but because the hand had just found its mark. "Alright, boy, we'll play things _your_ way." In the next moment, another hand emerged as it flung something straight at him and almost knocked the wind out of him.

When the shadow hand slunk back into the doorway, he pulled himself up rubbing the side of his head as he glanced to the side. "Al…?" His eyes lit up as he saw him shifting slightly, his eyes starting to peel open. "You're okay…"

Winry's eyes widened as she smiled, eyes brimming a bit with unshed tears. He was okay, Al was fine, even after these past weeks.

"Oh, Mr. Elric…" The voice taunted. "We still have our little deal to discuss, and you broke _your_ end."

He ground his teeth together as he finally tore his gaze away from his brother. "Right, I'm the one you want… but you can't have my brother…" He pushed himself forward onto his knees and stood up. He glared up at the entrance, firmly standing his ground. "So take me."

_'Ed, no!' _She longed to say it out loud, but she couldn't find her voice for some reason. She just didn't want to lose one more person.

"Nii-san?" Al finally pulled himself up so he was sitting. "What's going on?" He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. "That-…" His eyes widened at the ominous sight of the gate.

"It's fine, Al." He stated tightly through clenched teeth without turning around. "I'm handling it."

"Handling you say?" The voice mocked. "Well, let's see how well you handle things in this realm, boy."

"_SHUT UP_!" He screamed. "Let my brother go and never put him in jeopardy again! I want…" His mouth curled into a smirk.

"What is it, boy?" The voice actually sounded curious.

He lifted his gaze again, steeling his expression. "I want you to leave and never come back, and for the gate to be destroyed so that it can't harm anyone again."

Once again the voice was silent for a moment. "It can be done, Mr. Elric, because you're such a fun target, but…" It was then that Winry felt what could only be described as bitter ice, feathering against her ankle. "What do you say we call this day with one final twist?" He furrowed his brows in anger, wondering what it was the spectre meant until a high-pitched squeal made him jolt.

Both he and Al whipped around and stared in mute shock for a moment as they watched Winry trying to untangle her feet from the black arm wrapped around her ankles. "Winry!" Al was the first to snap to it as he raced to her side and tried to pull the it away from her, but when he touched it, a spark shot through his veins causing him to yelp.

"Harmless as it seems, doesn't it, little fool?" It chuckled haughtily.

Ed's temper broiled even further as he followed over to Winry's side. "Leave her alone, you bastard! She's got nothing to do with this!"

"Ed…" The icy feeling that had started at her ankles had now spread throughout her whole body, making her quiver horribly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have followed you…"

He gently placed his hand on her forearm. "Winry, this is serious, and by being here you've put yourself in big trouble." Even he felt his nerves getting to him while being in this place.

Suddenly she cried out as the slack of the arm tightened and yanked her forward roughly a bit towards the open door as both of them dove forward and latched onto her arms, Al falling right onto his stomach. "Knock it off!" Ed seethed. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME!"

"You'll want to close your mouth and listen to this, boy." Oh, how Ed would've loved to punch him in the face if he had a physical body. "This has turned into a rather interesting scenario. It seems that I have the boy prodigy, his kid brother, _and_ his closest friend all in my domain." His statement was followed by his notorious laughter that Ed was starting to get mighty sick of.

"This is my proposition for you, Edward Elric. I'll do as you wish and ensure that no one else can get to this place, and I'll let you go free without a price, but… now, _this_ is my favourite part." It chuckled as another one of its seemingly infinite arms came forward and swerved at the entrance, flexing its ghostly fingers in Al's direction.

"You have to make a choice; who will go home with you and who will stay here with me? Will it be your precious baby brother or your darling best friend?" One of the fingers on the arm wrapped around Winry tapped her lightly on the knee, but she was too shocked at the entity's words to feel the daggers of ice shooting up her ligaments.

And nothing but a bitter silence rested over the room.

"… … … _what_?" His voice was hoarse and raw and he felt like he couldn't breathe. "You can't be serious… you can't expect me to choose!"

"Choose you will, Mr. Elric." The voice replied coolly. "Unless you would prefer to lose them both that is, hmm?"

"This is insane!" He bolted up. "You aren't a guardian, you're the devil's right hand, you MONSTER!"

"Nii-san…" Al was holding Winry's hand as he stroked her wrist, as the cold was threatening to make her pass out.

"I tire of your insolence, boy. Choose now, or lose them both."

"Nii-san…" His voice was a bit more forceful this time as he gently placed Winry's hand on her stomach.

"You're insane! You have no right to play with people's emotions like this! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Nii-san!" Al's voice finally got through to him, only Ed didn't turn around quite yet.

He dipped his head down, golden bangs fanning over his face, shielding his eyes. His kid brother had that tone in him again, the same tone he used when he was trying to be strong. Hesitantly, he turned his body partly around to face him. "Al?" The hesitance was in his voice too.

"I'll go." His jaw was set firm, indicating there was no room for discussion.

"No way, Al." He took a few steps towards his little brother, but stopped at the steeled look on his face. "I'm not gonna lose you again."

The arm around Winry's legs went slack and she took the opportunity to pull herself free, letting the warmth return to her body as she pulled herself onto her knees. "He's right, Al, you can't! You're his-"

"I've already made up my mind, Winry." He smiled down at her weakly. "This whole thing is messed up anyway, and you don't even use alchemy. It's not fair that you got mixed up in this." He walked over to her and gently let his fingers run over her temple and cheek before glancing over at his brother.

Ed's eyes were wide and he couldn't seem to find his voice. "Al… no, y-you-… you can't." He swallowed with a bit of difficulty as his mouth was dry. His eyes fully focused on his little brother as his heartbeat seemed to beat steadily in his ear.

He smiled but turned away quickly, looking back at Winry. "Take care of him for me, okay Winry?" He really had no doubts about that. Her eyes had already begun to spill over with tears as she gazed up at him desperately. She swallowed as a few more slide down her cheek as she nodded very slightly and leaned over, embracing him firmly.

He was the one who reluctantly pulled away from her and turned towards the entrance to the gate as she stood up behind him.

Ed stood there numbly and completely incoherent as he watched his younger brother's movements, eyes fading to a rusted gold. The shadowy hands were now waiting at the entrance, shifting back and forth like snakes in anticipation, and Al was walking towards them. He swallowed hard once again as voices emanated in his head.

_"This pain's nothing… compared to what he's given up…"_

The air around him seemed to freeze completely as he clenched and unclenched his hands, eyes twitching anxiously.

_"No, Nii-san. I'll take the alchemist exam so we can get your body_ _back…"_

His foot slid forward as did the other echo his movement after a hesitation.

_"Al… it's my fault… return him, he's my little brother; my arms, my leg, my heart… just please… RETURN HIM TO ME! HE IS MY ONLY BROTHER!!!" _

His steps turned into a run as his brother turned to look at him, and he expected to see the same smile he did when they were both children. Only it wasn't happiness, it was one of confusion that soon melted into horror.

_"Maybe no life has equal trade. Maybe you can give up all you've got and get nothing back. But still, even if I can't prove it's true, I have to try… for your sake, Al." _

He felt soft material against one of his hands as he reached out with both.

"Edward…?" Her sweet voice was laced with fear towards him, but he had already fallen to his knees.

"Nii-san! What are you-?!"

As if on cue, the shadowy hands curled and shot forward, wrapping themselves around her arms and looped around her middle.

"Winry, WINRY!" Al screamed as he reached out, instinctively grabbing her hand. Winry's eyes widened as she felt the familiar prick of the hands securely wrapping themselves around her and pulled her back slowly and tauntingly. She opened her mouth, but nothing but an inaudible scream came as she fell backwards easily from his grasp as the doors slammed shut.

He stared vacantly forward as the resounding noise of the doors echoed in his ears. "Winry…" Al slowly sank down to his knees inches in front, reaching out with one hand and placed it on the textured surface on the cold, stone door. His fingers curled into a little fist as the tears he'd kept bottled in the whole time came out before his voice broke into a scream of her name that shook the foundations of the gate.

"It seems you have chosen, haven't you… Edward Elric."

The area around the gate was usually blinding, but now it had darkened to a mere glow, it reminded him- both of them- so much of back then. The image of the gate dissolving as a sharp gust blew through was the last thing Al saw as they were pulled from the yellow void and into darkness.

All Ed could do was stare down at his hands as the wind tore into his clothing.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I actually don't want to own FMA. It sounds like too much work. 

You probably know that Ed and Winry are both sixteen to start off, and Al is in his ten-year-old body. "(…)." means that whatever is being spoken is in a different language, and translated in the brackets.

**Salina: **Now who else thinks it was better to split it into two parts? _Come on_, who had a good idea?

_Tashi_ _grabs popcorn and begins to shove them into her mouth_: Who had what now?

_**Please Review!**_

It will be greatly appreciated because I want to know what the fans on this site think of it. Believe it or not, this was _technically_ my first story for FMA.

And if anyone cares, the original date I started this was:

_**01/12/05 **_


	3. A Tale From Within the Parallel Universe

_**The Shadow of the Day**_

_**Chapter 3 "A Tale From Within the Parallel Universe"**_

The morning light peeked up over the mountains casting light across the streets, bathing everything in its life-giving rays. The dew of the night evaporated with the touch of light from the well-manicured lawns. The winds brought in the last hint of nocturnal breeze before the sun warmed the air.

Winry crossed her arms over her chest as she folded her leg over her other knee. Of all the places she'd thought she might find today, this was certainly not her idea of fun.

The tiles on the ceiling of the museum waiting room made random patterns behind her eyes. She stared and stared, contemplating her life's choices because she honestly had nothing better to do at the moment. Despite what could have been deemed, waiting had never been her forte. Not to say she wasn't patient, she'd just never much enjoyed extended periods of boredom. She cursed herself for not bringing something along with her to read. Now she had to play connect the dots with ceiling tiles, which was the better of her few options. She certainly didn't want to strike up a conversation with the receptionist, because that was just sad. Though there were a few magazines she could pick up and read, she wasn't about to lower herself to do so. The selection was dreadfully lacking in the interest department. Not that staring at the ceiling was the most entertaining thing in the world, still, any port in a storm.

The open window next to her blew in a cool breeze. The crisp early, morning air brought her a small sense of deja'vu as she recalled a bit of her life before everything changed for herself. How she had always loved those leisurely, sleepy mornings when she would shyly watch her mother prepare the family's meal and listen to her humming softly while she worked. She sighed and drew in a deep breath.

Of course, staring at the ceiling created its own problems. The foremost of which was her incessant need to reflect on her past as her eyes roved around connecting the lines in the pitted ceiling tile. She was making constellations from the holes in an attempt to abstain from thinking and it wasn't working. Her eyes darted to and from, happily connecting several holes to create an actual constellation. Canis Major, one of the constellation Orion's hunting dogs…

_Fascinating._

It was fascinating that she'd happen to fashion Canis Major out of several holes in a ceiling. By thinking of things that were better left swept under the rug. No, they were better left buried in a ten-foot hole in a led-lined box with concrete poured on top of it. Then she had to go and dig them up, idiot that she was.

What bothered her the most was that she had only recently learned what those constellations were called in this world and she could already recite them…

Grumbling to herself internally, she found her thoughts moulding into her memories once again, but this time towards the grandmother of that kid who had found her here in the first place.

**_…Flashback…_**

Winry came awake abruptly, disoriented and cold, and reached up to soothe the dull, throbbing ache in her temple. Her eyes held a thick glaze from sleep over them and she lifted her arm to rub them on the back of her sleeve. She was startled and a bit disturbed when her hand passed over something wet on her forehead, but after a moment she realized it was only a damp cloth.

She furrowed her brows un confusion and curled her fingers around the material and pulled it off of her forehead. She glanced down at the cloth on her palm for a moment before she felt another presence extremely close. She looked up and jumped about a foot at the familiar green eyes peering down at her about three inches from her face.

Before the inevitable colliding of their heads, he straightened his posture and turned towards the entrance to the kitchen. "OMAAA! She's awake!" His young voice was wobbly and shifted to a higher tone and Winry could tell that he was young teenager.

Winry groaned as she held her palm against her forehead, shutting her eyes tightly. _'No kidding…'_ She groaned as another wave of throbbing hit her and she could've cuffed the kid for being so noisy. Removing her hand from her temple, her eyes reopened as the boy's 'Oma' emerged from the nest room.

She meandered her way over and took the seat next to her, gently prying the wet cloth from Winry's hand. "So… been having bad dreams?" She inquired pleasantly, mopping at her brow.

Somehow, Winry could sense that she was not trying to force her into conversation. Somehow she knew the old woman was not really demanding details or explanations, she was just seeking to offer her some much needed comfort and support. _'Besides…' _She thought ruefully. _'The answer to her question was plainly obvious already. Bad dreams, indeed…'_

"You could say that." She murmured after a moment's pause. "I've always had them. I guess from now on they're going to be… a little different." She shook her head to clear the memory of the indifference in Edward's burning eyes and tentatively poked at her sternum, as if checking to see if her heart still beat within her chest.

Satisfied that she was still put together properly and in one piece, she took in her first glimpse of her new surroundings. She was in a small room, partially furnished with a few potted flowers in the corner, which looked well-cared for. Try as she might, she couldn't really remember arriving… _here_. Dimly, she wondered where 'here' even was. Between all the physical exertions and emotional upheaval over the past few days, tracking her own travels hadn't seemed all that important. _'Strange…' _She mused. _'How much things had changed in so short a space of time.'_ She shook her head sadly, still not believing that she was really in a strange land, that she had really been cast aside...

Despite her heartache and fear, her natural curiosity began to reassert itself and she shifted to get a better feel of her bearings. Smiling gratefully at the kindly old woman tending to her, she gazed at the comforts of the unfamiliar room.

She found herself to be in a simple bed next to a simple dresser. The air was humid and hot; there was a slight mineral scent, and the telling shimmer of water from the basin the old woman was using reflected on the ceiling.

As her gaze returned to what was near her, she noticed what she assumed was probably the old woman's grandchildren looking at her in curiosity. Both of them had greenest eyes Winry had ever seen, almost with a diamond finish to them and she could tell that they were siblings, though the young girl had a head full of auburn locks that reached just past her waist while the boy had more of a mess of strawberry blonde hair. He looked mostly worried as he tried to be discreet when he'd look at the gash on her temple, but the girl looked cheerful and a bit antsy in Winry's eyes.

Sensing their young guest's curiosity, the old woman decided to make it easy on her and gestured towards her grandkids. "They're Nikolaus and Cremia, thirteen and six."

Niko muttered some inaudible words of annoyance and dug his hands in his pockets. "I prefer Niko…"

"Nice to meetcha!" Cremia piped up in a slightly slurred voice, her spirited enthusiasm making Winry smile.

_'Thirteen and six?' _Winry wondered to herself briefly. _'Perhaps she was an afterthought…'_

The elderly woman grinned and turned around to give her grandson a look, suggesting that they should vacate the room and give their guest some space. Niko quickly nodded and grabbed his sister's hand, pulling on her arm enough to get her to exit the room with him.

"Well, little miss…" She swiped at her temples one last time, sloshing a bit more water onto her face than she probably intended to. She cackled merrily as Winry sputtered for a bit, then she deposited the cloth in a basin of cool water by the bedside and rose to her feet. "I suppose you'll be wanting a soak?"

The girl couldn't contain her sigh at the thought of finally being able to take a hot bath, and nodded eagerly in confirmation.

The woman nodded. "Thought you might, it's all set up for you, the bath's in the room adjacent from this one. By the way…" She stopped near the doorway and grinned. "The name's Ula in advance. I don't need any of that 'old lady' stuff, I get enough of that from my grandson." With one final wave, she left the room.

Winry lingered in bed for a moment, trying to suppress a small smile as she stared down at her new clothing… although the style seemed a bit dressy compared to what she was used to.

She rubbed the back of her head, feeling a bit sheepish from the odd woman's blunt kindness. "Thanks." She whispered. But there was no one there anymore.

* * *

Winry spent hours in the small wooden tub in the room perpendicular to the one she had been staying in. Pondering over things that were probably best left alone. 

She had only been trying to help them, after all, and look where it got her… she furrowed her brow and slowly ran her fingers through her unruly hair, and thought back over the years. It truly occurred to her that she hadn't had many conversations with her childhood friend, and how she really didn't know him anymore… not like she used to anyway. Interactions were based on a sentence here and a sentence there, but not any smooth flow, or give and take. Everything was vague, clipped, and indirect.

Sometimes, he'd ask how she was feeling or if she was happy. Of course, she would supply the answer only too eagerly, anything to keep his attention fixed on her…

Even for a moment.

She learned early on, however, that he wouldn't reciprocate in the way he used to, and when she would ask him he would only stick with his one or two word answers and turn away in agitation, like she was nothing more than a bother. Well, that was probably exactly it. Though she never would admit defeat and kept trying anyway.

Instead, she had contented herself with observing everything about him. The way his hair rippled when he moved, the peaceful look that came over him when he settled at night to gaze up at the stars, the smiles she would sometimes catch out of the corner of her eye…

She leapt to her feet in agitation. She just couldn't understand it. Wasn't she supposed to be dead anyway? Wasn't _that_ the deal?

What would it have been like? Would she have even felt anything or was it more of a transition? Would she feel herself slowly slipping away, fading into nothing but a forlorn walking ghost… Winry worried her lip and tapped her fingers together, an annoying, impulsive habit she had ever since she was little. She paced the length of her new room, pausing to kick the strange clothes she borrowed from the into the shadows, feeling a small measure of satisfaction at the sorry excuse for a rebellious act.

What if-… since she was alive now, wouldn't they still be in danger, was this all some sort of mistake? What if they hadn't even made it back home as promised, what if…

Wait a minute.

Winry's eyes became impossibly wide and her hands shot up to muffle the involuntary gasp escaping her throat. She suddenly had the most frightening of thoughts, and a single, burning question moved in to occupy the forefront of her mind, but with no one to answer it for her. She wasn't even supposed to be alive now… was she? The gate- er- 'Truth' character had taken her as a sacrifice to atone for whatever Ed had done to piss him off, so why was she alive now?

Winry dressed swiftly, and then crept quietly from her room. She moved into a narrow, darkened corridor, her small feet pattering against the wooden floor. The scent of smoke filled her nostrils and the constant drip-drip of water continued to echo all about her. She turned into the first doorway she found, and stepped into an adjoining room.

A few more twists in the halls, and she finally found herself a large, strangely bright room. She cried out in amazement, pausing to marvel at the amazing collection of paintings displayed on the walls.

As she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Winry hurried past all the intriguing objects littering the room, eager to feel the sunshine on her cheeks. She paused near the entrance to the kitchen, suddenly more ensnared with the wonderful smells coming from within. She turned to the open window and smiled as the cool air brushed across her face. The rising sun was just starting to burn off the morning fog, and in the distance she thought she could see a small lake. "Beautiful." She breathed.

"Ah! You're up and about?!" chirped an overly cheerful voice behind her.

Winry let out a surprised shriek and whirled around. Her hands flew out and she stumbled, knocking a mallet from its hook and setting off a chain reaction of tools tumbling from the walls, echoing down into the dark.

"Oops." Ula muttered sheepishly. "Well, if you really want to repay me, here's your first task of the day: clean that up."

Winry panted, and waited for the din to die down before beginning to bend to restore the utensils and whatnot to their rightful places. She was really rather thankful, actually. A chore would occupy her mind. It would hopefully keep some of her nagging doubts at bay. _'Maybe, just maybe, that was the old woman's intention all along?'_ She smiled. It seemed increasingly clear to her that Ula's absentmindedness might really be a great act.

But she could not waste time dwelling on the old woman's intentions or her mental state. She needed to find out what she really knew. Now that she was face to face with him again, her mind would not let go of that final terrible question, and she could not allow herself to be swayed again. She dropped a small spatula to the floor with a clatter, and opened her mouth to speak...

However, once more, Ula was one step ahead of her. "Wait, wait, girl." She shouted, silencing her before she could even form a word. "I thought you might like something to eat first!" She beckoned for her to follow, leading her to a low, broken table in the corner that seemed to function as both a work-bench and dining area. Until the moment that the old woman held a bowl of soup before her famished eyes, Winry had not even realized how hungry she was. She nodded in grateful acceptance, and raced to join her.

"Thanks and… sorry for wrecking all your…" Winry struggled painfully to find a word to describe the clutter. "Ummm, stuff." Unable to ignore the call of her growling stomach anymore, she immediately began ladling the deliciously hot food into her mouth. "I'm still a little jumpy, I guess." She explained, her words garbled between those first perfect mouthfuls.

She simply waved it off. "It's fine. I imagine you've got some important things on your mind, girl."

Winry dipped her head down, trying not to seem so eager to know where _exactly_ she was. "Yeah… I did actually think of one more question."

"Only one?" The woman asked with a sly wink. Winry smiled shyly and shrugged, not wanting to appear too anxious and demanding.

"Well… first of all…" She placed a withered finger on her chin as she scrutinized the young woman before her. "Where are you from? You don't speak our language… so you can't be a local woman…"

The smile on Winry's face twisted regretfully. She'd seriously hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but it looked like she wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Her head started to hurt as different stories swam in her mind that might seem fitting for a situation like this, but the majority of them had to be among the cheesiest excuses anyone could come up with.

"I'm…" One idea that made the most sense stuck in her mind, so she decided to go with that one. "Having a hard time remembering…"

"Well…" Ula started up again, watching the girl's changing expressions carefully. As well as the way she uncomfortably folded and unfolded her hands. "I don't want to seem too pushy, but there is one thing that I should know."

Winry internally groaned as he prepared to field another question with another 'brilliant' answer.

The woman grinned a bit, sensing the girl's uneasiness. "Do you have a name, hun?"

She blinked and cringed slightly at her guardedness. "Yeah, sorry… it's Winry."

"See?" Ula's smile relaxed as she turned around to fill the kettle with water. "Now we're getting somewhere. At least you're only suffering from a minor case of amnesia…"

Winry's lips pressed together firmly as a wave of guilt settled over her. She hated the idea of having to lie to this nice woman, but she really didn't have a choice in the matter.

As if sensing that her young companion was fast approaching an emotional breaking point, Ula quickly decided that it was time for the topic to come to a close. "Well, dear, I am sorry for your loss, but feel free to stay here for as long as you'd like." Propping her chin up on her palms, she leaned forward. "Though you strike me as someone who wouldn't want to be coddled for long periods of time, but do be careful out there, there is a lot of civil unrest…"

Winry nodded slowly, not knowing what to say or do with the warning and felt a bit uneasy.

The old woman sighed and shrugged her thin shoulders as she backed away, realizing she could offer the girl no more comfort. Any peace she found now would have to come from within. "When you do leave however, I suggest you head to the nearest major city around here…" She paused momentarily as Winry nodded for her to continue. "It's called Munich, and would probably be a better place for a lone woman to settle, then out here in this quiet town."

She sunk into the shadows with a weary groan, her ancient face lined with wrinkles and concern. "Well, you must have experienced something traumatic to cause you to lose your memory, that or you smacked yourself in the head a good one. Whatever happened you should try to let it go…" She chuckled to herself a bit as the whistle from kettle brought her attention.

Winry turned to stare at the steam pouring forth from the iron kettle, bubbling and hissing on the scolding ring. "But, in the end… he did let me go." She murmured bitterly, when the woman was out of earshot.

**_…End of Flashback…_**

Winry sighed in annoyance, and turned away from the captivating aggravation she found in the ceiling. Not that the floor would be any better. After a few minutes of that though, she decided that it was definitely time to get out of here before she really did memorize every constellation in the book.

She strolled through the empty museum, her heels clicking noisily on the highly polished, marble floors. She gazed absently at a few of the displays as she passed them but nothing had really caught her eye. Nothing but case after case of old weapons, old armour, old scrolls and to just break things up… old pottery. It was perhaps the dullest place she'd ever set foot in and she wondered how they made any money. Stifling a yawn, she felt her mind turn in on itself again. There was a tinge of bittersweet emotion triggered by her recent reminiscences and no matter how hard she tried, that feeling just wouldn't fade away. So she gave up.

It was strange. Time had passed and things returned to a startling degree of normality with only a few superficial changes.

Superficial, indeed.

Winry still found her hands wandering to the itchy material of her long sleeves or equally long skirt. Well, it wasn't exactly itchy, but she certainly wasn't used to covering every inch of her body, though stating something like that aloud was bound to turn a few heads. If there was only one thing she'd learned about this world, it was that a woman's standards were. Anything and anyone else who didn't abide by that was celled something Ula referred to as a 'flapper.'

This would have been comforting to Winry had she not seen through it. If she didn't know that everything she did and said, everything, all of it was a lie. It was forced and so false that she truly wondered if she were the only one who realized it because she didn't want to be the only one in on the joke.

A cyclical routine that once upon a time was comfortable, but now she was tired of the pretence behind it.

As she rounded the corner she spotted one reason why some things seemed to have remained the same. A reason that had become fast friends with her.

She had met her about a few days ago after she set off on her own and took Ula's suggestion of travelling to 'Munich.' Which was only a short distance away from the small residential area which she and her family lived in. It was really her face that made Winry trust her, even though that alone was probably not a good idea, but she reminded her so much of Rose… minus having a child.

"Oh, Winry…" Noa quickly closed the book she had just been reading and slid it back onto the display case along with the others. "Sorry, is it that time already? I guess I lost track of things…" She smiled a bit sheepishly and walked over to Winry, her own heels clicking against the floor.

Winry smiled in return and leaned against once of the ornate pillars which stood in various places of the central hall. Noa had told her that she had always wanted to visit the museum in this town, but never had anyone to go with before. There was also the factor that she'd told her that it would be safer to go at the crack of dawn when the museum first opened, or late at night at around closing. Not being a morning person in the least, Winry had easily opted for the latter.

"_So_…" Winry really did the best to conceal her boredom, but the other woman didn't seem to be buying it by the amused expression on her face. "Are we done here, or…" She found the tips of her fingers impatiently drum together.

Noa laughed. "Yes… we can go now." She stated as they headed towards the exit of the exhibit.

It was actually around the entrance to the museum where she had her first met Noa. At first Winry thought she was very odd, poking around in the shadows with a cloak wrapped around her body and a hood concealing most of her face. Of course, curiosity had gotten to her and she'd decided to see the lone woman for herself…

Of course when she'd seen her face, she'd stupidly blurted out 'ROSE?'… _brilliant_ move. Perhaps it was because Noa's quiet disposition matched her own at this point, she had found it surprisingly easy to get along with her. As for Noa… she guessed that the other woman was just lonely.

One thing was that Noa refused to tell her where she had come from, the only thing she would say was that she ran away and she was never going back. Winry could only imagine the thoughts going through the other woman's mind, since the expression on Noa's face was very similar to the one on Rose's face when she'd once told her how her child was conceived.

Noa looked over, noticing that her companion was going through another one of her silent periods.

Sometimes Winry could be the most upbeat person she had ever met, contrasting almost brutally with her own personality. Then there times like these when she could be deathly quiet, and Noa knew that she was deep in thought. They say that silence speaks volumes, and she found herself to be particularly talented at gauging other people's emotions.

There were times when Noa did find herself a bit jealous of Winry's personality. She even tried to copy some of the phrases she used that seemed much more cheerful and casual. Her friend was unique, that was for sure.

"Come on, Winry." Noa smiled lightly. Winry couldn't help but take note that it seemed difficult for her to smile anymore then a slight curve to the lips. "What do you say we go to the tavern for a bit?"

* * *

The air was bitterly cold and snow was falling gently from the night sky, despite the face that Winter was still a few months away. settling upon the already fallen snow. Edward made his way down the sidewalk, crunching through the thin layer of white powder beginning to coat the sidewalk. Winry internally debated on going to the tavern at this time of night, it was probably begging for trouble, but at the moment, the idea of just getting out of the cold threw that dispute out the window. 

It was nothing special. Just a small building on the corner with a sign hanging above the door, displaying the tavern's name and swaying in an unseen wind. A blast of blissfully warm air hit her freezing hands as she pushed the door open, Noa closely in tow. A small bell jingled as the door opened and then fell shut behind the them. The bar room was warm and small, but cozy. The bartender was currently wiping down the surface of the counter, moving the white rag in quick circles across the smooth and polished wood. A few people sat at the stools, each with another stool separating them from each other. Several other people sat at the small tables scattered across the room, talking in low voices. A stag was set up against the right wall of the bar, complete with a grand piano and a percussion set. It was empty, apparently awaiting the next performer.

It seemed to be the only tavern on the east side of town where Noa could fit in without being bothered. Not that it really mattered to her since she was still sixteen-years-old and hadn't had a drop of alcohol that hadn't been offered purely to see if she liked it or not. Navigating her way through the crowd, she found an empty table near the stage since the real purpose was listening to the music.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few people get up on stage. Winry turned with half-hearted curiosity as the group got their act together. Two men took their places, one at the piano while the other set up at the drums. After a few minutes of warming up, a girl that Winry presumed was their lead singer climbed the steps onstage. After the lights shone on her face, illuminating her face, Winry's neutral smile twisted sadly. The girl could be nothing less than this world's answer to her old friend, Nelly. Shaking her head once, she turned back to the basic design etched into the wood of the table.

It was a strange sensation she felt, but gave her a sense of nostalgia every time she would see a familiar face. She had not seen anyone truly major as of yet, in fact Noa was the first, but at the beginning she would run over to that face until reality caused her to snap out of it. Although it didn't help the confusion of the poor person.

Winry blushed in embarrassment at the memory. After a while though, she had controlled her urge to jump up and run over to the person. In the moment, she lifted her gaze from the pattern etched into the table and looked across at girl who called herself a 'gypsy.'

That was the odd thing about Noa. From what she'd heard and from what little experience she had so far, it seemed that the alter egos of the people she had once known harboured similar, external traits and had either the exact same name or was altered only slightly. That was where the connection ended between Rose and Noa. When she'd first met the gypsy girl, she'd worn a cloak with a hood concealing most of her features and all Winry had seen was her face, but as she spent more time with her, the similarities seemed to drift further apart as she began to see that they were really two very different people, leaving her to wonder why she'd once saw them as the same person.

She blinked casually as Noa took another sip of her drink while listening to the music, completely oblivious of Winry's silent observations. According to Noa, those who didn't look similar to Winry were discriminated against. In truth, it seemed similar to the treatment Ishbalins from her word received. She wondered if perhaps they were parallel races… but Rose wasn't an Ishbalin… so how could Noa… Winry stopped herself there and shook her head. Far too many loopholes in that topic.

She sometimes wondered if they were really supposed to be alters of the people from her world. Perhaps someone had just gotten lazy and decided not to make new moulds. She paused for a moment before scoffing at her own dreary analogy. She really did have too much time on her hands these days.

Though she had to hand it to Noa though, dealing with a person who- _allegedly_- had a case of amnesia. She had claimed to be a fortune-teller and suggested that maybe if she looked into her heart, she could unlock her memory. And with a flustered look and hasty wave of the hands, that conversation quickly ended.

It had been the family she'd met two weeks ago when she had found herself in this corresponding world who had started it, and claiming to have amnesia made the most sense to her, so she didn't have to try and explain anything… not that anyone would believe her if she actually spoke the truth. She had only stayed with them for a day, despite being welcome there for as long as she wanted and only grew to remember the names of the kids. It was obvious to anyone that times were difficult here, and she knew that she would only be a burden.

**_…Flashback…_**

She wasn't exactly sure why, it was more of an epiphany than an actual desire to do so, but Winry found herself standing at the entrance to the alley; the section in the dark pathway in which she had first passed through the golden void to end up in this world, which seemed like an upside-down version of Amestris. She chuckled to herself internally. The whole idea was really the epitome of ludicrously and something she just couldn't wrap her mind around.

Out of curiosity, she walked up towards the wall on the opposite side, marking the dead end and gently placed the palm of her hand over the cold, but smooth surface. There was certainly nothing extraordinary about this particular area, no alcove, not even any sort of damage caused by the alchemy that had brought her here in the first place. One thing she did know is that it was possible to smell the charge after a recent transmutation.

Then again, Ed did say that alchemy didn't exist any farther than a mythological incantation in this world.

She sighed, digging her hands into the pockets of the overcoat the kids' grandma had lent her. It was rare times like this when she'd admit that knowing squat about alchemy was really a drag. Then again, with her past experiences, she hadn't seen one charitable thing come from it to this day… sighing once, she leaned against the wall, sliding downward against the surface until she was sitting.

"So, you visitin' out here?"

Winry blinked and looked up to see the old woman herself. "Um… yeah, just for the… Winter." She internally rolled her eyes at her own answer.

"I see…" Ula stated lightly, dropping down to her side on the ground. It was blatantly obvious to Winry that the woman was curious about her. "You live back East, hmm? London perhaps?"

"I was also visiting an old friend… she was having problems with her family…"

She nodded in simple understanding. "Hmm… sorry, dear." She stated uneasily. "It's none of my business…"

Winry looked at her for a moment. She really didn't know why, but she felt like it was safe. "She left her home."

From the corner of her eye, she saw the woman nod, but her face was twisted in perplexity. "Well, then… why did she leave?"

The first traces of tears found their way down from the brim of her eyes. Leaning forward a bit, she wrapped her arms around her knees, holding them tightly against her chest. "I think she hung on to a fantasy for too long…" Her mouth twisted into a rueful smile. "… and became selfish in the long-run."

She didn't here any answer or sound from the old woman next to her and she shifted uncomfortably. "And now… everything's changed for her, but… it's up to her now, and start from scratch…" The tiniest smile pulled on Winry's lips as she wordlessly turned back to the cold look of the wall on the other side of the alley.

She could still remember the way he smelt. The way his arms, warm and cold, felt around her and when she'd pressed her face into the crook of his neck. She'd remember how warm his skin had been and for a moment she'd almost told him. It was on her lips and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Only silence as his embrace tightened fractionally. The pain in her heart at the moment was so bright it'd turn the sky white. So painful, it felt like her heart was being constricted and was slowly losing blood, and no matter what she did… the pain wouldn't go away.

Although… That was her best friend. Her best friend in the whole world who had been holding her and comforting her, and she knew that she should tell him. If he was really her friend, he'd understand. And her brittle heart cried, screamed that she should trust him and just be honest, but the mistakes of one's past, young or not, aren't easily overcome. Sometimes repetition is inevitable, especially where his brother was concerned and Winry couldn't overcome the natural inhibitions of her heart, distrusting the fragile bond between her and her old-time friend.

And it was so very fragile.

It occurred to her then as now that she had been really stupid. Undeniably, profoundly stupid-- stupid on a level heretofore unknown to man, god or the damned and if she'd been able to qualify it she was sure it'd be in a record book somewhere.

But that wasn't it, there was more than there had been before. She could still feel him…

"How long did you love him for?"

Winry blinked in surprise and turned so quickly she was sure to have given herself whiplash. A small, empathetic smile was on the woman's face, and all Winry felt was bewildered.

A sad smile crossed her face. "I'm not exactly sure when it happened… but I did realize it when he left for the final time…"

Ula nodded slowly, eyes breaking from hers momentarily. "How long did you wait for him…?"

Winry didn't turn to look at her this time, all she could do was shake her head in disbelief of herself. "Twenty-one months… two weeks… "Her voice cracked as the reality of how pathetic she'd become settled in. "… three days…"

**_…End of Flashback…_**

Winry brought the water glass up to her lips as the last traces of the small memory faded. She reasoned that it probably wasn't much to the average person, and certainly not enough to let Noa in on, but… it made her feel better, reinvigorated even, for a short time. The conversation had been out of the clear blue before she'd left and they had been kind family, though she had only really gotten to know the kids and their grandmother, but one day perhaps, she hoped that she could repay them…

The loud noise of someone's body tumbling to the floor nearly caused her to drop her drink as she turned around

Though by the looks of it, no one was making an effort to stop it. In fact most people were either leaving or, what seemed to be the men, were betting on which one would knock the other's lights out. She rolled her eyes with an agitated sigh as she went back to her drink. That was until an authoritative yet kind voice rang out over the slurred words of the two drunkards caused her whole body to still.

Noa looked passed her shoulder at the commotion. "Looks like someone's finally going to clean up this place. From people like that…" Her face contorted as a small smile formed. "It's nice to see that some officers and officials are willing to do that. Ever since the war started… sometimes it seems like no one cares anymore…"

Unfortunately for her, the statement had flown right over Winry's sense of hearing. The distraction had first began with the uncomfortable sinking in her stomach from when she'd first heard the man's voice, so much that she didn't want to turn around. The voice had already been vague to start with, but still stored within the back confines of her memory. Slowly, she craned her neck to see if it was just her imagination.

No, it certainly wasn't. Not when it was the correspondence to the late Maes Hughes slapping the cuffs on one of the men who wouldn't settle down. This one was slightly different though, he seemed a bit more colder and harsher although it was the same voice.

It scared her, it actually made her shake on the spot because it felt like she was looking into the eyes from beyond the grave. At the same time though, she felt warm on the inside like how she had when she first saw Noa's face. There had always been something about the family man's presence that had been comforting. Even if she had only known him for a short time…

Noa looked from Winry to the officer which seemed to making her feel almost nauseous. When she turned back to him however, she noticed the emblem pinned on the chest of his uniform, the Swastika crest. She sighed and discreetly shadowed her face within the hood of her cloak. She really didn't want this to turn into a big ordeal, not to mention that her Aryan friend seemed to be suffering from a case of Amnesia and probably wouldn't understand the full reason for racial discrimination here. Though… in some ways, she wasn't so sure what the reason was herself.

Before anyone could really notice her odd behaviour though, Winry quickly slipped back onto her seat, internally scolding herself for slipping again.

**_…The Right-Hand side of the Gate…_**

The musky scent of medical substances hung heavily in the air of the kitchen and living room. As the stars were beginning to materialize, cool air seeped through every open window in the house and swept away a bit of the stench which by now had made the air feel almost sticky.

Pinako, slightly nauseous from the scent of disinfectant added with the heat, took to breathing through her mouth for awhile. Her eyes flicked over to the right where emergency bag used for treating patients post-automail connection was sitting, chalked full of cotton bandages, disinfectant, antiseptic cream, tape, scissors, styptic powder, sutures, and painkillers. It had been two weeks since her granddaughter and Edward both left the house on that night, and she had looked everywhere for them. A few of the village men had even come by to help her with the search. It was the strangest thing, the first place she had thought to look for them was at the hilltop where the Elric house used to stand, and up to that point, there had been nothing, until just a few days ago.

She had found the Elrics both collapsed at the ashen remains of their home. Not simply unconscious, but like something had ripped them apart and left them with barely a thread of life to hold onto. That was strange though, since there had been no trace of them being there a day ago.

She wasn't oblivious to the alchemic array drawn into the ground, stretching across the perimeter of the Elric property. She could smell foul play anywhere and only with the assistance of a few baffled neighbours, was she able to get them inside.

That was the odd, but relieving part of the whole situation. Alphonse had returned and nothing seemed to be physically wrong with him. That was the only thing that rang true though…

Releasing her grip on the counter, she turned once more to face the two occupants at the table. The boys were sitting directly across from each other at her kitchen table, neither of them having spoken a word since they'd woke up. There were only a select few times when she had seen them like this, and it didn't help the anxiety building inside.

The sound of a chair scraping softly against the floor alerted her attention as well as a bit of hope to see some progress in their condition as she looked up, slightly surprised that it was Alphonse who was the first to get up. However, her spirits dampened when the expressions of pain mixed with anger crossed his face as he quickly made his way out of the room and to the landing. Edward didn't budge an inch, not as his brother's footsteps clicked up the wooden stairs, and he didn't even blink when the deafening silence allowed the sound of the door closing to Al's room.

She turned back to him, scrutinizing over his eerily still posture, the only movement being the natural rocks his body made in tune with his breathing. Even that was discreet and almost silent. Taking one last glance at the staircase, she moved over to the chair Alphonse had just been occupying and sat down across from him. "Edward what happened to you two and where is Winry? Did she catch up to you?" There was the smallest flinch at the sound of her granddaughter's name, discreet and almost non-existent in his glazed expression, but it was clear to her.

Her jaw tightened as she tried yet another method. "What were you even doing up there and at this hour? And what's wrong with Alphonse?" His teeth tightly clenched together and she found her patience wearing thin as the anxiety built up within the pit of her stomach.

"Edward." Her tone was sharp this time, demanding and without having to raise her voice in the slightest. Pinako stared at the young man before her as amber eyes lifted up to look at her. His eyes held a distant look to them as well as an depth of seriousness, a mixed expression she found intangible.

Barely after a minute, his gaze fell back to the table, the flickering fire of the candle illuminating the shadows around his face. His jaw was set firmly as he clenched his fingers tightly before letting the muscles relax. "What's going on?" Still absolutely nothing as the twisting sensation in her stomach increased. "_Where is my granddaughter_?"A flicker. One solitary flicker shone behind the molten colour of his eyes before it dissipated as quickly as it came, like before.

It was then that his gaze finally focused completely on her. The distant glaze retreated as the only true emotions he had since he was a child moulded into overwhelming sorrow and regret for just a moment, almost enough to match the pain caused by the catalyst of his and Alphonse's conquest. His expression steeled once more as everything in his mind finally pieced itself together into a whole and stated the only thing the old woman thought she'd never have to hear again about another member of her family.

"She's gone."

* * *

**Disclaimer:** As always, not mine. 

Once more, I apologize for the chapter split. I really don't know why I didn't just keep it in its original format to begin with--

_**Please Review!**_


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